Differing Carbohydrate Recommendations of the Atkins Diet and Food Pyramid

Differing Carbohydrate Recommendations of the Atkins Diet and Food Pyramid

A review of the carbohydrate intake of the Atkins

Diet and the Food Pyramid Guide allow a comparison of

their potential health effects relative to each other.

The Atkins Diet and the Food Pyramid Guide propose

different levels of carbohydrate intake. The Atkins

Diet allows for an extremely limited intake of

carbohydrates, as little as one serving which is

roughly 20 grams. The Food Pyramid Guide allows about

120-220 grams of carbohydrates a day, which are

roughly six to eleven servings. These different

levels of carbohydrate intake influence the body’s

metabolism because “carbohydrates are an organic

compound that serves as a major energy source for the

body” (Dictionary.com). These carbohydrates convert

to sugars that trigger insulin production, which our

body needs for certain processes, and triggers fat

storage (Health-Doc.com). According to the Institute

of Medicine, adults should get 45 to 65 percent of

their daily calories from carbohydrates. This is

roughly seven servings based on a 2000 calorie/day

diet.

The Atkins Diet, in requiring a significantly smaller

amount of carbohydrates than the Institute of

Medicine, attempts to realign the dieter’s metabolism.

In the first two weeks of the diet no more than

twenty grams of carbohydrates a day are to be eaten.

Twenty grams of carbohydrates a day is the equivalent

of one slice of bread. After this two-week induction

period is over the diet is allowed to slowly increase

its carbohydrate increments to about fifty grams of

carbohydrates a day, or about two to three servings.

The benefit of this low consumption of carbohydrates

with the Atkins diet is to “efficiently switch your

body from a carbohydrate-burning metabolism to a

primarily fat-burning (your fat!) metabolism.

[The Atkins Diet is also supposed to] stabilize

your blood sugar and abruptly halt a myriad of

symptoms indicative of unstable blood sugar, such as

fatigue, mood swings, brain fog and an inability to

function at your best. This diet also will curb your

cravings by stabilizing your blood sugar and break

addictions to foods such as sugar, wheat or corn

derivatives, alcohol, caffeine, grain or any other

food” (Atkins.com). While these claims seem somewhat

sweeping, they remain claims that are not supported by

scientific information provided by their website,

Atkins.com. The lack of supporting information and

the grandiose nature of the claims make the science

behind this diet seem somewhat suspect.