"Q&A"
The following article provides an overview of a study conducted by Dr. Esselstyn claiming amazing reduction and reversal of heart disease following a low fat, vegan diet approach similar to that originally proposed by Dr. Ornish.
ezhealthydiet.com
Having pretty much just stumbled across this (and not familiar with the doctor or the research methodology) I would like to get others thoughts on the claims indicated.
Dr. Davis: I believe that super low-fat vegetarian diets do work for some people, but do not work for the majority. I believe that there are some people who start with a conventional American diet who do better on this program.
In fact, our experience suggests the opposite: People who weigh their diet heavily in favor of starches like whole grains, as well as vegetables and fruits, worsen their lipoprotein profiles. When I followed the Ornish program myself about 14 years ago, I gained 30 lbs, dropped my HDL to 27, triglycerides rose to 350, and I became a diabetic. It clearly did not fit my genetic pattern. I have had many patients on this program years ago, many with similar results, though a minority did better.
Contrary to the extravagant claims of Ornish and Esselstyn, I believe that their approaches are outdated. They ignore the data confirming the wonderful effects omega-3 fatty acids, for instance, a fraction of fat. The one-size-fits-all approach cannot work in a varied group of individuals, some of whom will respond because they are ApoE4 genotypes, while others will respond like I did because of variations in CETP. (Don't sweat the distinctions.) The point is that we respond to diets differently. I do believe, however, that there are important metabolic lessons to learn from the low-fat experiences. |
