The low-carb diet did result in decreased insulin in all volunteers which meant that the experimental conditions were adequate to test Taubes’ hypothesis that insulin levels were important. But when the overall data were analysed, there was a surprise: there was no difference between the groups in terms of the effect of fat or sugar on metabolism. A calorie was a calorie, regardless of whether it came from carbs or fat. It was a small study, but a rigorously conducted small study can still disprove a hypothesis. Hall published his findings3 and reviewed them in the European Journal of Clinical
...more
