Doctors on the take: a patient’s guide to fine print in research

by Carolyn Thomas @HeartSisters

I was doing a little light reading in the Archives of Internal Medicine the other day. A study reported there looked at what researchers have dubbed the Eco-Atkins Diet, which replaces the low-carb, high-saturated fat meat protein of the old Atkins Diet with low-carb, low saturated fat vegetable-based protein – such as soybeans, legumes and nuts.(1)

The more I read, the better I liked what I was reading. The study showed that the vegetable-based protein-eating participants not only successfully lost weight on this new Eco-Atkins Diet, but they showed greater reductions in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels than the control group.

Isn’t this fabulous news for those of us wanting to lose weight as well as improve our heart health?

Well, maybe not.   Read more

Is alcohol unsafe for all women?

wine party hat

by Carolyn Thomas  @HeartSisters

Remember reading about the big U.K. study in February warning us that women who drink even one alcoholic beverage per day may be at increased risk for developing cancer?

It was alarming news for those of us who enjoy a glass of wine with dinner – and especially since several previous medical studies have linked moderate wine consumption with improved heart health.   Continue reading “Is alcohol unsafe for all women?”