Lowering cholesterol? Beware simple sugars.

• Position: Obesity - Women's nutrition - Brief Article

Women who are trying to lower their cholesterol levels by limiting dietary fat may be doing more harm than good if they are replacing fat with high-sugar foods. As commonly happens to women placed on low-fat diets, their total cholesterol levels decrease. However, this type of diet also reduces high-density lipoprotein (HDL)--the "good" cholesterol--levels, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park, evaluated 55 overweight and obese postmenopausal women who were placed on the American Heart Association Step 1 diet to determine the dietary cause of the...