A 20-year Harvard study comparing the diets of 82,802 women was published in the New England Journal of Medicine two weeks ago (most diet comparison studies last a year or less). It has some interesting conclusions.

Low-carb, higher fat diets did not increase risk of heart disease over the long term. 

Low-carb diets with more fats from vegetable sources loweredrisk of heart disease. (I presume this is due to unsaturated fats in most vegetable sources vs. the saturated fats from most animal sources)

Lowered glycemic load of the diet directly lowered risk for heart disease.  (learn about glycemic load at www.glycemicindex.com and at www.drsears.com/understandingcarbs.page)

A how-to book that focuses on all these items: moderating carbs, increasing healthy unsaturated fats, and lowering glycemic load is A Week in the Zone by Barry Sears.  I recommend it to all my clients, and have seen excellent results.  It is available at book stores, or at amazon.com here. 

To read more about the above study, click here: www.medscape.com/viewarticle/547506 (free registration may be required)

N Engl J Med. 2006;355:1991-2002  Low-Carbohydrate-Diet Score and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women  Halton T. L., Willett W. C., Liu S., Manson J. E., Albert C. M., Rexrode K., Hu F. B.