Although low-fat, low-calorie diet has always been the gold standard of weight loss, low-carbohydrate diet cannot be dismissed. However, despite its popularity, low-carbohydrate diet’s safety and effectiveness continue to be subject of debates. It was not until recently that low-carbohydrate diet is properly studied due to the difficulty of measuring adherence and the high rates of drop-outs. This article will review six original reports done on low-carbohydrate diet. It will analyse the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diet over short and longer period of time as well as its effects on metabolism, coronary heart disease risk factors, glucose tolerance and psychological aspects. Westman, Yancy, Edman, Tomlin, and Perkins’s (2002) did a randomised trials for high-protein, low-carbohydrate (HPLC) diet’s effects on metabolic system and body weights. They found that in average, participants lost 7.7 kilograms (Westman, et al., 2002). In addition, majority of subjects experienced favourable lipid profile change. However, all subjects were also found to develop ketunoria while undergoing the diet (Westman, et al., 2002). As this research was done on subjects with broad age range, the result of this study may be used as guidance for large age groups. It has to be noted that the research is funded by Atkins Centre for Complimentary Medicine which was founded by Robert Atkins, promoter of low-carbohydrate diet, Atkins diet. This introduces bias into the research and while authors of the paper claimed that the research was done independently, it does not satisfy ethical aspect of research. Foster ef al. (2003) also published a research paper based on a randomised-controlled trials of HPLC. Foster et al. (2003) argued that HPLC diet pro... ... middle of paper ... .... Foster, G.D., Wyatt, H.R., Hill, J.O., McGuckin, B.G., Brill, C., Mohammed, B.S., …, & Klein, S. (2003). A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, 248 (21), 2082-2090. Krebs, N.F., Gao, D., Gralla, J., Collins, J.S., & Johnson, S.L. (2010). Efficacy and Safety of a High Protein, Low Carbohydrate Diet for Weight Loss in Severely Obese Adolescents. The Journal of Pediatrics, 157 (2), 252-258. Lim, S.S., Noakes, M., Keogh, J.B., & Clifton, P.M. (2010). Long-term effects of a low carbohydrate, low fat or high unsaturated fat compared to a no-intervention control. Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 20, 599-607. Westman, E.C., Yancy, W.S., Edman, J.S., Tomlin, K.F., & Perkins, C.E. (2002). Effect of 6-Month Adherence to a Very Low Carbohydrate Diet Program. The American Journal of Medicine, 113, 30-36.
Not only do low-fat diets not work but they are dangerous towards our body. Our body needs certain fats to sustain energy and support cell growth. Low-fat diets may worsen HDL cholesteric and triglycerides. Because low-fat diets have not been successful towards many people, they turn around to face another lie. They begin to abandon the idea of taking low-fat diets and turn to high-fat diets. The super-high-fat Atkins diet or zone and sugar busters diet which are just as flawed as the low-fat diets. Many people find it hard to lose weight and even on these diets they tend to still gain weight. Many of the reasons why diets high and low in fat or carbohydrates don’t work are because they are not accurate. They are hard to keep up so they eventually stop the diet. They set goals that seem almost unrealistic and the processes of keeping the diet seem even harder than taking the weight off. Obesity has become a big epidemic in America. Americans tend to look for the easy way out. Getting on a diet that seems like a good idea without realizing how unrealistic it can become. How it promises to make you lose 5lbs a month if you stay committed. Lies. The narrow-minded focus on fats has been a failure that seems to have worsened the problem of obesity. The best way to keep the body safe is to avoid smoking, eating right and exercising. These healthy lifestyles will change the course of the death sentence that most Americans carry upon
High Protein diets are traced all the way back to the 1800s when William Banting produced a brochure including information and details surrounding the diet. He claimed the newfound diet, which consisted of meat and shockingly, sherry but no bread and very few vegetables, aided him in shedding his unwanted pounds. This is very similar to today's Atkins diet. Originally developed in the 1970s by Dr. Atkins, it, like Banting's idea, believes that carbohydrates are responsible for America's obese society (Applegate 26). Dr. Atkins claimed it was possible to change carbohydrate-burning bodies to fat burning by applying the concept of high protein and low carbohydrate eating. ("How does . . .?"). Nearly ten years later, Americans concluded "fat was . . . fattening," causing people to shift from proteins and fats to hefty serving of "fat-free and high-carbohydrate foods such as bagels and fat-free cookies." Still people continued to gain weight and in turn blamed it on carbohydrates. So again, in the nineties, the Atkins diet ...
With reference to the Scientific American article, the central tenet of a weight loss plan is stated to be a balanced diet. Restricting food groups is listed as a key mistake by dieters that should be avoided for health reasons. Eliezer often men...
The brain and body prefer to use glucose, a product of the digestion of carbohydrates, as an energy source. Therefore, the severe reduction of carbohydrates has many negative effects on the body. By eating only protein and fats the body will go into starvation mode. In the absence of a sufficient amount of carbohydrates the body is forced to use stored blood sugar from the liver and muscles. This process results in an initial protein tissue loss and urinary loss of electrolytes. Protein tissues, muscles, are mostly composed of water; consequently, the elimination of carbohydrates in the body causes the body to start to undergo a process known as ketosis. With this large amount of water loss, it appears that the body is rapidly losing an abundant amount of weight. Although appealing to the dieter, this rapid weight loss from decreased carbohydrates can pose a variety of health risks. Because of the decreased amount of carbohydrate...
Low carbohydrate (carb) diets have been used as a weight loss treatment for many years. Recently low carbohydrate diets are being used with athletes as a performance enhancement method by changing training adaptations. This essay will examine the health risks and benefits of a low carb diet, as well as the effects of low carb diets on the endurance athlete in regards to their training and performance. There are many short term benefits of low carb diets. However there are also many long term risks that outweigh the benefits for the general population. Evidence shows that exercising on a low carb diet has positive adaptation to training for aerobic athletes. However there is not enough evidence on what the long term effect of this could be, and so the net health benefits for a low carb diet cannot be determined for athletes.
We all can agree that an individual’s increased knowledge of the glycemic index, healthy vs. unhealthy fats, whole grains, fiber, and increased exercise, would benefit each and every living person. However, once you delve into the daily decrease of carbohydrates, it’s here where the dieter can quickly get into trouble. The effects of low carbohydrates can quickly become overwhelming and even debilitating. To make up for decreased energy found in carbohydrates, the human body will reach into muscle and liver stores to make up for losses in glycogen. Breakdown of glycogen increases urine production, with associated excess sodium and micro-nutrient excretion. In addition to the frequent urination, fatigue and dizziness due to hypoglycemia and mineral loss, headaches, constipation, dehydration, diarrhea, muscle cramps, kidney stones, shakiness, weakness, sleep disturbances, low Thyroid hormone levels, hair loss, and heart palpitations are common side effects of low carbohydrate
1. Brinkworth, G.D. et al. Long-term Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet and a Low-Fat Diet on Mood and Cognitive Function. Archives of Internal Medicine,169:1873-1880, 2009.
High-protein/ low-carbohydrate diets are nothing new to Americans these days; they seem overwhelmingly to be the most popular among those people trying to lose weight. Ph.D. Dr. Barry Sears’ books on his version of the high-protein diet, the Zone Diet, are among the best selling diet books on the market. The diet seems to be yielding quick and noticeable results to those who follow Dr. Sears’ plan. Many people are desperate to lose weight and have tried numerous methods that have not produced sufficient and long lasting results. This could perhaps be the reason for the recent craze for the high-protein/ low-carbohydrate diet- it really does cause weight loss. Even Hollywood movie stars such as actresses Jennifer Anniston and Sandra Bullock attribute their recent weight loss and improvement in appearance to the Zone diet. However, in the midst of all of the hype, we must examine the claims and assess the degree to which this diet is indeed effective. Further, considering that Dr. Sears’ advice contradicts what we have been told for years about dieting, we must determine if it is healthy. Could we have been misinformed when given advice to eat a diet rich in carbohydrates, or is this diet another that falls short of what it promises?
A million types of fad diets promising people to lose weight by using drugs or specific diet plans such as 5:2, paleo, hormone cure, virgin, bulletproof. Moreover, each type of fad diets has own specific style. Studies show that 108 million people in US following fad diets (ABC News Staff, 2012). The fad diets are the same as fashion that people use it enthusiastically for a period of time to give them beauty, elegant and perfect appearance. A fad diet is the most dangerous type of diet and it causes many health problems. This paper will look at two areas, which are physical and mental problems. Fad diets is becoming more popular because the consumers spend a huge amount of their money to follow specific type of diets to lose their weight
Low-fat, low-calorie, and low-carbohydrate diets are of unequal effectiveness and merit. Low-carbohydrate diets are simply better. All three diets attempt to induce weight loss by managing the body’s energy intake. The body gets the energy it needs to stay alive from food. Food can be broken down into three major categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Even though fat contains the most calories per gram, because of the way digestion works, the body gets all of its energy from carbohydrates and none from fat found in food. When the body takes in excess energy, it is stored in body fat. If it ever needs to, the body can dip into these energy reserves by breaking down the fat in which the energy is stored. Low-carbohydrate diets work by cutting back on the body’s main fuel source, carbohydrates, and replacing it with fat and protein. While protein and fat have other vital uses in the body, they do not provide any energy. So, the body is forced to burn fat for fuel. Low-calorie diets simply proscribe a lower overall caloric intake thereby providing the body with insufficient fuel, again forcing the body to dip into its reserves. Low-fat diets reduce fat intake because proponents of low-fat diets claim that fat is the type of food with the biggest caloric bang for its nutritional buck Low-fat diets are based on the fallacious connection between body fat and fat in food. There is no such connection, and this is a mistake that can have dire consequences. The body does not use fat as an energy source. People actually gain weight on low-fat diets because snacks toted as low-fat are frequently high in carbohydrates to compensate for the loss of flavor from lack of fat. Becau...
Skinner, K. (2013). The Clinical Use of Low Glycaemic Index Diets as an Approach to Weight Loss.. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society., 19(3), 170-173. Retrieved March 11, 2014, from the Academic Search Premier database.
Diets consisting of a balance between complex carbohydrates and good proteins bring the best results in weight loss, despite a slower result than low carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet. Weight loss is accomplished by burning more calories than one consumes. With regards to calories, there are two approaches between the two diets being examined that lead to weight loss. The logic behind the Atkins diet is that by eating fewer carbohydrates, insulin levels remain at a steadier degree and cravings are subsided, thereby causing people to consume fewer calories and in turn lose weight. Despite the loss in weight however, the substitutes for these simple carbohydrates recommended by the Atkins diet are high fat, high protein foods such as butter, cheese, and meats. These foods although when eaten exclusively can lead to weight loss, there are other health problems associated with this method of dieting. An alternative to substituting simple carbohydrates with high ...
There are hundreds of weight loss programs and protein diets available to Canadians. Though the promises to lose ten pounds in ten days may seem appealing to those looking to lose some weight, there are many physiological and economic implications to these diets. There are multiple approaches to dieting such as controlled dieting, prudent dieting, formula dieting, low-carb and high fat and protein diets, high carbohydrate and fibre diets, fasting as well as a variety of diet aids. The short but sweet diets can fall under the category of ‘crash diets’. The ones that focus on low carbohydrates usually place a heavy emphasis on high proteins. These diets often have health consequences, as their main principle is to reduce the intake of macronutrients
A low carb diet is a meal plan that people follow, where all carbohydrates are cut out of every meal for the purpose rapidly losing weight. Many wonder whether low carb diets are healthy and beneficial, or detrimental to ones health. This report will explain many aspects of low carb diets, including a general overview, myths associated with low carb diets, short and long term effects, an overview of the most commonly practiced low carb diet, and the reason people start living this lifestyle.
A study done by (Fitzwater SL et al, 1991) consisted of 18 individual and group counseling meetings over 7 months. They tried to get overweight individuals to eat a low energy dense diet consisting of high amounts of fruit and vegetables. The results shown that the subjects had lost an average of 7.3kg 53% of the participants continued to maintain this and continue to lose weight over 2 years. However this study didn’t include a comparison or control group or detailed food intake information, it does state that consuming a diet which is rich in low energy dense foods is an effective strategy for weight loss and maintenance. Also additional evidence supports the diets rich in low energy dense foods. A study done by (Epstein LH et al, 2001) shows how low energy diets can lead to weight loss.