(NaturalNews) The Atkins diet may be a popular way to achieve fast weight loss results; however, it's not without intense scrutiny from animal-rights activists, those who enjoy healthier ways of eating and, of course, medical experts who warn that the diet can lead to health problems such as increased cholesterol levels.

Dr. Keith-Thomas Ayoob of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York is on board with the notion that diets like Atkins are not healthy. "In my experience, unless you're willing to throw out decades of research," he said, "you cannot ignore that diets chronically high in saturated fats are linked to heart disease." (1)

However, according to a new study published in BMJ Open, there's a solution that still promotes weight loss but, unlike Atkins, does not involve meats and may reduce the risk of heart disease by 10 percent over 10 years (2).

The study, led by Dr. David Jenkins, director of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Modification Centre of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and a professor at the University of Toronto, found that the "Eco-Atkins diet," which is a low -arb vegan diet that is high in vegetable proteins and oils, can help with weight loss and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. Over a six-month period, it was found that the Eco-Atkins diet contributed to a 4-pound weight loss reduction while also lowering bad cholesterol levels by 10 percent (2).

Details about the Eco-Atkins diet

So, what does the Eco-Atkins diet entail? About 26 percent of its calories are from carbohydrates, while 31 percent are from proteins, and 43 percent from fat. The fat consists of healthy ones such as the kind found in avocado and nuts.

High-fiber foods make up the carbohydrate aspect and consist mainly of low-starch vegetables such as eggplant and okra, as well as oats and barley. Other low-starch vegetables include broccoli, chard, lettuce, cauliflower and artichokes, which are also beneficial for people trying to lose weight (3).

Proteins in this diet come from nuts and vegetables. Meat, of course, has no place in this diet.

As always, choose fresh, organic options.

Sources for this article include:

(1) http://abcnews.go.com

(2) http://www.upi.com

(3) http://www.livestrong.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

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Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle