If you really want to lose weight and decrease your cholesterol level, you may try the low-carbohydrate diet, according to a study published in the July 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study compared the effects of three diets on a number of 322 moderately obese employees at the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, Israel. The participants were randomly assigned to follow either a low-carb diet based on the Atkins diet plan, or a Mediterranean diet or low-fat diet, based on American Heart Association guidelines.

In the low-fat diet, the participants were given no more then 30 percent of calories from fat, restricted calories (1,500 for women per day, and 1,800 for men), and cholesterol (300 milligrams a day) focusing on low-fat grains, vegetables and fruits as options. The Mediterranean diet had similar calorie, fat and cholesterol restrictions, emphasizing poultry, fish, olive oil, and nuts.

The low-carb diet sets limits for carbohydrates, but none for calories or fat, the participants being able to consume meat, fish, chicken, eggs, and just a few vegetables.

Over the next two years, an astounding 84.6 percent of participants stayed on their diets most probably because the research was done in a controlled environment and also they were counseled on how to stick to their eating plans and were asked to fill questionnaires on what they ate.

The participants were weighed in every month and had other measurements, such as cholesterol and blood sugar taken four times during the two-year study, from 2005 to 2007.

The maximum weight loss happened in the first six months; then dieters went on maintenance.

Overall, all three diets appeared to have worked.

“The three diet strategies were beneficial for two years for all the biomarkers, but some of them were more specifically better than other,” said Iris Shai, RD, PhD, the study's lead author, and a researcher in nutrition and chronic diseases at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

However, those on low-carb diet lost the most weight in two years-about 10.3 pounds, while those in the Mediterranean diet lost 10 pounds and those on the low-fat regimen lost 6.5 pounds.

Most surprising were cholesterol levels at the end of the study. Critics have long sustained that while an Atkins diet could help people lose weight but feared that over the long term, may increase cholesterol levels because it allows more fat.

The study suggested the opposite, as the low-carb diet reduced the total cholesterol-to-good cholesterol ration by 20 percent, compared to just 12 percent in the low-fat diet.

“The low-carb diet improved HDL [‘good’ cholesterol] the most,” Shai said.

Moreover, in the 36 dieters with diabetes, those on the Mediterranean diet had better blood sugar and insulin measures.

Even though the low-carb diet appears to work better than the other two, this does not mean people should avoid choosing a Mediterranean diet or a low fat diet, Shai said. However, she suggests that once people choose any of the three options they should stick to it in order to have results.

More than that, people should practice moderation when it comes to food. A healthy lifestyle may not lead to weight problems later in life. Also, exercising on daily basis always helps when it comes to keeping weight in normal limits, thus delaying weight-related problems.

Moreover, according to a study presented lat month at the Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, people should not skip breakfast because it helps them cut sweets and starchy foods and also boost the metabolism, thus helping people lose weight.

This is not the first time breakfast is said to play an important role in losing weight and keeping a healthy diet with more fruits and vegetables. Of course, people should not expect to lose weight in a very short time if they choose a diet based on a healthy breakfast and more vegetables and fruits.