Jeff Novick RD,LS,LD,LN is the head of the Pritikin Center in Florida:

From
http://www.jeffnovick.com/Seperating-The-Wheat-From-The-Chaf-High-Carb-Diets-Nut
ritional-Adequacy-Lipid-Levels.html

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Seperating The Wheat From The Chaf: High Carb Diets, Nutritional
Adequacy & Lipid Levels

Jeff Novick in Lipid Levels, High Carb Diets

There is often discussion about the "ideal" ratios of protein/
carbohydrate/fat, and the influence of different recommended diets
containing differing macronutrient ratios, on weight and lipid levels.
And that the high carb (low fat) diets are bad, as they increase
cholesterol, and atherosclerosis.

In addition, because of lots of bad press over the last decade, many
of us are afraid of higher carb (low fat) diets, due to confusing and
misleading press reports indicting the high carbohydrate diet
Americans have consumed over the last 30 years.

As I have often pointed out, that while this typical American diet is
high carb, it is mostly refined white flour, white sugar, low in
fiber, low in omega 3's, lacking in most nutrients, and high in
saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. This typical "high carb, low
fat" diet that is consumed in American is not  really high carb, nor
is it really low fat, nor is it a healthy diet in anyway.

More importantly, this typical American diet is not the high
carbohydrate diet that many of its true advocates (like me) would
recommend nor do they produce the same results in humans as the ones I
recommend. High carbohydrate diets that are based on unrefined,
unprocessed plants foods that are high in fiber, nutrient dense and
adequate in protein and fat, are very healthy. While these two
differing diets may be somewhat similar in macronutrient composition,
they differ completely in food and nutrient composition, and their
effect on humans. Sadly, though, they are often lumped together and
judged as equally bad. The only real thing they have in common is "bad
press".

The following 5 studies focus on two examples of populations living on
a very high carbohydrate diet: one the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico,
the second, the native traditional Hawaiin diet.

Lets look at the Tarahumara Indians.  Their diet is mostly corn,
beans, and peppers with very limited food from animal sources.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/32/4/905

The protein average 87 g, and meets the recommendations for all the
essential amino acids. Fat is only 12% of total calories, with 2%
saturated and 5% polyunsaturated.  The average dietary cholesterol
intake is less than 100 mg/day.

Carbohydrate comprised 75 to 80% of total calories, however, unlike
the typical American high carb diet, only 6% of total calories were
derived from simple sugars.  In America, it is ~20%. Their nutrient
intake met or exceeded national recommendations

In regard to its effects on lipid levels...

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/31/7/1131

All lipid values were low (total cholesterol LDL, VLDL, etc),
including HDL, which was in the 20s.

Their life expectancy is low due to very high infant mortality but, as
the authors stated...

"Particularly notable was the virtual absence of the hypertension,
obesity, and the usual age rise of the serum cholesterol in adults.
Thus, the
customary diet of the Tarahumaras is adequate in all nutrients, is
hypolipidemic, and is presumably antiatherogenic"

Now, some may say they are genetically predisposed to low cholesterol
levels and metabolize cholesterol differently.   Maybe, but either
way, their high carb, low fat diet is nutrient rich and is not hurting
them.

But the real test would be, what happens when you put them on the
typical American high carb diet, for 5 weeks. Do they still maintain
their low cholesterol levels, or do their numbers change like typical
Americans.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstra
ctPlus&list_uids=1944471&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum

As you can see, they reacted just as most Americans do... Their
cholesterol went up 31%, LDL, rose 39%, HDL rose 31%, TGs, rose 18%,
and their weight increased 7%.

These same results that we see amongst the Tarahumara Indians has also
been seen and replicated/documented in Hawaii.

Twenty native Hawaiians, who were consuming the more traditional
American high carb diet, were placed on what as called the "pre-
Western-contact" Hawaiian diet for 21 d. So, they switched from the
high carb American diet, to the higher carb Hawaiian diet.

The "Hawaiian" diet was low in fat (7%), high in complex carbohydrates
(78%), and moderate in protein (15%). While eating "ad libitum" (no
portion or calorie restriction) the average calorie intake decreased
from 2594 to 1569 per day (around a 40% restriction, while eating to
full).  That's quite an impressive decrease.   The average weight loss
was 22 lbs.
The average cholesterol decreased around 15% and BP decreased an
average of 11.5 systolic and 8.9 diastolic

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstra
ctPlus&list_uids=2031501&query_hl=10&itool=pubmed_DocSum

In a second study, this same Hawaiian Diet was fed ad libitum (without
calorie or portion size restriction) to adults for 21 days. The Hawaii
Diet was high in complex carbohydrate (77% of calories), low in fat
(12% of calories), and moderate in protein (11% of calories).

Weight loss averaged 11 lbs, BP decreased an average of 136.0/82.7 to
125.5/78.9, cholesterol levels fell from 205.3 to 156.9, LDL from
125.9 to 94.9, and HDL from 38.3 to 31.3, Triglycerides from 238.7 to
152.2 and blood sugar from blood glucose levels from 112.2 to 91.5

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubmed&cmd=R
etrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=11320614

I believe that these diets, like the traditional native Hawaiian diet
and the Tarahumara diet, give us insight on how to effectively apply a
reduced calorie diet, while still acheiving optimal nutrition. These
diets are
nutrient dense, highly therapeutic and, when the subjects are
encouraged to eat until satisfied without calorie or portion control,
they achieved a 40% restriction.

So, don't be misled or confused by simple comparisons, criticisms (or
praise) done on macro nutrient ratios, without understanding the food
that is contributing to those macro-nutrient ratios and its effects on
health.  There are many types of high fat diets, and high protein
diets and there are many types of high carb diets. And there are many
types of food that can make up either of them.

Some are very toxic.

So, yes, there are some really bad high carb, low fat diets out
there.   But some, are not only extremely nutrient dense, but may be
an extremely healthy, (if not the healthiest) option.