Some high-fat diets help with weight loss, but you have to pay careful attention to the foods you eat. Fatty foods can lead to health complications. Although weight loss is one factor in decreasing the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, high-fat foods may increase cholesterol in the bloodstream and clog the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart. Check with your doctor before using a high-fat diet to lose weight.
Elevated Cholesterol
Popular low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets may help you lose weight, but can raise levels of low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol in your blood, according to researchers at the University of Colorado at Denver. LDL, also called the "bad" cholesterol, builds up on the walls of blood vessels to narrow the arteries, leading to heart disease. Researchers tested 33 obese subjects who followed either a low-carb, high-fat diet or a high-carbohydrate diet. Both groups lost about the same amount of weight, but the high-fat group had a significant increase in LDL levels, as reported in the January 27, 2010, issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Positive Results
In some cases, weight loss occurs while keeping cholesterol levels normal with a high-fat diet. The Atkins diet includes meals low in carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and potatoes, and high in protein and saturated fat. Research has shown that LDL increases in the first three to six months of the diet, but returns to normal levels after a year, according to the HealthCentral website. Atkins dieters showed more weight loss after six months, but the difference narrowed after a year when compared to a conventional low-fat diet. The Atkins dieters also had greater decreases in triglycerides and increases in protective high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Excess triglycerides contribute to heart disease. HDL, called the "good" cholesterol, helps clean the bloodstream of excess cholesterol.
Trim the Fat
The types of food you eat on a high-fat diet may help with weight loss and reduction in cholesterol. Consume high-protein foods such as lean meats with all visible fat trimmed off and poultry without fatty skin. These foods will still contain saturated fats, but less than meats with visible fat and skin. Fish also contain saturated fats, but usually lower amounts than meat and poultry. Low-fat or fat-free dairy products are lower in saturated fat than whole-milk dairy products.
Unsaturated Fat
If you're on a high-fat diet and have concerns about cholesterol, try adding unsaturated fats to your diet. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower LDL and increase HDL levels, the Harvard School of Public Health notes. Get monounsaturated fats from olive and canola oils, avocados and nuts. Polyunsaturated fats come from flaxseed and sunflower oils and fish with omega-3 fatty acids, including tuna, salmon, mackerel and herring.
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