Even after adopting a low-fat diet, heart attack survivors and those at-risk sometimes continue to struggle to boost HDL (“good”) cholesterol. A two-year study led by Dr. Gary Foster of Temple University’s Center for Obesity Research & Education suggests the solution may rest in a low-carb, Atkins style diet.

“When comparing these two popular weight loss plans, none of the existing research had included a comprehensive, long-term, behavioral support component,” Foster said in a news release. “For years, the conventional wisdom was that low-carb diets had a host of ill effects on health, but these results suggest that those concerns are unfounded.”

Although LDL was higher in low-carb dieters in the beginning, both groups had similar levels by the end of the study. There wasn’t a significant weight loss difference between the groups, either.

Low-carb dieters experienced a 23 percent increase in HDL compared to just 12 percent in those who ate less fat. These statistics are comparable to levels in people who rely on medication to regulate good cholesterol.

The reason behind these differences is still a mystery. As for which diet is best, the answer is both.

"It doesn't make a difference for weight loss how you get there," Foster told MSNBC. “Both of these are options. These diets work." The big goal, he said, should be developing good eating habits.

Want to know more? Read the study’s abstract in the Annals of Internal Medicine.