What’s wrong with low carbohydrate diets?
There is hardly a shred of scientific evidence that low carbohydrate diets benefit anyone.
Low carbohydrate diets come in many forms. The Zone diet (less extreme form) recommends less carbohydrate (40% instead of 55%), more protein (30% instead of 15%), and limits fat to no more than 30%. It includes advice about types of carbohydrates (low versus high GI), and type of fat (unsaturated versus saturated). On order to keep to these limits, specially prepared and packaged foods are often necessary. But human nature is such that after a while you will find yourself yearning for high-carbohydrate foods like bread and potatoes.
A more extreme form is the Atkins diet which is being used to induce short-term weight loss. This diet is based on the concept of avoiding carbohydrate foods – even fruits and vegetables are restricted (absurd!) - while meat and dairy foods laden with saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories form the core. A recipe for sudden heart attack! It may also compromise kidney function if prolonged.
Report: Diet doctor Atkins was obese
New York: Dr.Robert Atkins, whose popular diet stresses protein-rich meat and cheeses over carbohydrates weighed 116 kg at his death and had a history of heart disease, a newspaper reported.
Atkins died last April at age 72 after being injured in a fall on an icy street. Before his death, he had suffered a heart attack, congestive failure and hypertension, The Wall Street Journal reported citing a report by the city medical examiner. At 116kg, the 1.8m-tall Atkins would have qualified as obese …
Source: TheStar, Thursday, February 12, 2004; page 38.
Note: Atkins had BMI of 36 which is classified as “severely obese” by the WHO
Nutrient Analysis of Atkins Sample Diets
Atkins Induction
|
Atkins Weight Loss
|
Atkins Maintenance
| |
Energy, kcal
|
1759
|
1505
|
2173
|
Protein, g (% energy)
|
143 (33%)
|
120 (32%)
|
135 (25%)
|
Carbohydrate, g (% energy)
|
15 (3%)
|
36 (10%)
|
116 (22%)
|
Fat, g (% energy)
|
125 (64%)
|
97 (58%)
|
110 (45%)
|
Alcohol, g (% energy)
|
0
|
0
|
26 (8%)
|
Saturated fat, g
|
42
|
45
|
38
|
Cholesterol, mg
|
886
|
885
|
834
|
Fibre, g
|
2
|
7
|
18
|
Calcium, mg (% DV)
|
373 (37%)
|
952 (95%)
|
1019 (102%)
|
Iron, mg (% DV)
|
15 (86%)
|
10 (54%)
|
13 (70%)
|
Vitamin C (% DV)
|
20 (33%)
|
140 (234%)
|
242 (404%)
|
Vitamin A, RE (% DV)
|
799 (80%)
|
1525 (153%)
|
2521 (252%)
|
Folate, µg (% DV)
|
143 (36%)
|
268 (67%)
|
584 (146%)
|
Vitamin B-12, 5g (% DV)
|
11 (191%)
|
8 (132%)
|
5 (80%)
|
Thiamin, mg (% DV)
|
0.7 (48%)
|
1.1 (76%)
|
1.0 (64%)
|
The nutritional analysis shows that the sample menus do not meet the recommended dietary intakes for macronutrients. In addition to very high protein content and low carbohydrate content, the menus at all three stages are very high in saturated fat (Daily Value (DV) is < 20 g) and cholesterol (DV < 200 mg) and very low in fibre (DV > 25 g). In addition, these sample menus do not reach the daily values for iron. The Induction menu does not meet the daily values for calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, and thiamin. The Weight Loss menu is low on calcium, folate, and thiamin.
The “Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine” warned against such a diet. What very-low-carbohydrate, high protein weight loss diets are designed to do is to induce ketosis, a state that also occurs in uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and starvation. When carbohydrate intake or utilization is insufficient to provide glucose to the cells that rely on it as an energy source, ketone bodies are formed from fatty acids. This can lead to a disturbance in the body’s acid-base balance. This can lead to deleterious effects including osteoporosis, a propensity to form kidney stones or compromise of kidney function.
The Committee also warned that such a diet over the long haul is associated with the following conditions:
- Colorectal cancer
- Cardiovascular disease
- Impaired renal function
- Osteoporosis
- Complications of diabetes
