http://www2.hawaii.edu/crch/Vol2Issue1c%20JanFeb01.pdf

The italics and boldings are mine :P

High protein, low carbohydrate diets are not new but have recently regained popularity. Most of the claims are unproven, using pseudo-science to fool consumers into believing that they are based on scientific evidence.
These diets advocate the restriction of grains, fruits & vegetables while emphasizing milk, (we can have milk alot? wow) meat & fat. The authors of these fad diets blame carbohydrates for causing fat gain due to increases in insulin. However, dietary protein also
causes insulin levels to rise. Consuming excess fat & protein can also lead to fat/weight gain. In fact, it’s easier to gain weight from eating fatty foods because they have more than twice as many calories as carhohydrates! Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram compared with 4 & 9 calories for protein & fat, respectively.

These diets cause weight loss solely through restricting calories. There is nothing special about the proportion of protein to carbohydrate. By the same token, you could lose weight eating a diet of chocolate & Coca Cola if the overall calorie content was low. (if that was true there would be nooverweight college kids)People who go on these low carb diets will notice rapid weight loss in the first few days due to the loss of stored carbohydrates & in turn stored water. For every gram of carbohydrate lost, 3 grams of water
is lost. Very little body fat is lost. When a normal diet is resumed, water is restored & weight quickly returns. This contributes to the dangerous
yo-yo effect of dieting. (Give me a diet that doesn't if you resume poor eating habits)

Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel for the brain. In low carbohydrate diets, the body must come up with an alternate source of glucose to keep the Central Nervous System operating. Muscle is used first for the first few days, (bet you didn't know muscles were made of gluclose not protien) then the body slows the metabolism & uses fat. Fat produces an alternate source of carbohydrate called ketone bodies. (I never knew keotenes were carbs) Ketones only can supply 2/3 of the brain’s energy needs, so some cells are
lost. This state of ketosis is detrimental if it continues.

The Atkin’s Diet is one of the most popular low carbohydrate diets & perhaps the most extreme. No more than 20 grams of carbohydrate are allowed each day in itially. Considering that a banana contains approximately 26 grams of carbohydrate, the diet is very severe. (good thing we don't live off of bamnanas) Dr. Atkins considers ketosis to be necessary for weight loss, despite the detriment it causes the body. Besides this, low carbohydrate diets are also very restrictive in what you can eat & may become monotonous. Monotonous diets usually don’t last, and neither does the weight loss.

In summary, low carbohydrate diets will cause weight loss of water in the shortterm and compromise your health. Shortterm side effects include feelings of nausea, light-headedness, constipation, dehydration, & fatigue. Bad breath is also common once ketosis occurs. You cannot get proper amounts of fiber & nutrients. (hmm according to fitday I get 100% of pretty much all nutrients. Do they?) The high fat foods advocated by these
kinds of diets are linked to high cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, & certain cancers. High amounts of protein can also lead to kidney problems & oste oporosis.

For optimal health & weight management, select a variety of foods. Try to concentrate on fruits & vegetables in your diet as they are essential for good health. Also, include starches from unrefined sources like wholegrain breads, pastas, & cereals. Fish, lean meats, & low fat dairy foods provide much needed iron & calcium. Diets don’t work. Changing bad habits does. (Umm Duh!) Let your nutritionist help you figure out what habits you’d like to realistically
change for life and for health!

This is nothing more than an opinion paper. Note that no studies are referenced and it's more than obvious that the person who wrote it didn't do their homework on what low carb is about.

Yeah I like what this girl was telling me. In her nutrition class they tought them that you cant lose weight without carbs. So bascially the only thing you can lose on atkins is water. HAHAHAHA

This is a very old nutritionist mantra; "Fat is burned in the furnace of carbohydrates." Sounds good in theory...works terrible in practice.

I'm not sure why, but I had an overwhelming urge to reply to this newsletter. I realize it's out of date, but the misinformation and false statements are so glaring considering this is from a medical establishment - I was simply astounded this made it to print.

I found the e-mail address and fired off this letter:

A copy of your Newsletter was brought to my attention recently and I thought I would share a few comments with you – as I find it hard to believe you would purposely print errors, omissions and false information.

The January / February 2001 Bean Study Newsletter focusing on Low Carb Diet Myths is wrought with such errors, omission and false information.

These diets advocate the restriction of grains, fruits & vegetables while emphasizing milk, meat & fat. The authors of these fad diets blame carbohydrates for causing fat gain due to increases in insulin.

Any low carb diets, at its most restrictive, would never advocate milk – milk is primarily a carbohydrate.

Dietary protein also causes insulin levels to rise

Only when the protein is excessive and only when it is eaten in the presence of carbs. Protein, in and of itself does not cause insulin levels to rise; it causes glucagon levels to rise. In basic biochemistry 101 we are taught that glucagon and insulin are polar opposites – when one is dominant the other cannot be.

By the same token, you could lose weight eating a diet of chocolate & Coca Cola if the overall calorie content was low.

Calories in vs. Calories out is a very old and very trite debate that has never been proven. This is typical misinformation, and highly irresponsible when the source is considered. Should not the goal of the CRCH be education?

When a normal diet is resumed, water is restored & weight quickly returns. This contributes to the dangerous yo-yo effect of dieting.

You are partially correct. IF you return to your previous eating patterns you will get your previous results. This applies to all ways of eating. The goal of LC is to reeducate and fix the problem eating high carb, processed foods created in the first place. LC plans all include a chapter on Maintenance and increasing carbs using good quality whole foods. Unfortunately, this chapter is usually never opened.

Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel for the brain. In low carbohydrate diets, the body must come up with an alternate source of glucose to keep the Central Nervous System operating. Muscle is used first for the first few days, then the body slows the metabolism & uses fat. Fat produces an alternate source of carbohydrate called ketone bodies. Ketones only can supply 2/3 of the brain’s energy needs, so some cells are lost. This state of ketosis is detrimental if it continues.

There is so much misinformation in here I don’t know where to begin!

1) The brain is primarily made of cholesterol. It functions better on fatty acids than it does on glucose. There is a very small area of the midbrain that requires glucose because these cells do not possess mitochondria and cannot break down fatty acids. The body, however, possess the ability to manufacture all the glucose it needs – and it does this every day, to every one of us. This is part of the glucose homeostasis system.

2) Muscle is spared when you eat LC because a) you eat more calories than when you diet using low fat parameters and b) because you eat adequate protein. These two factors help to maintain a positive nitrogen balance. Fat is burned as fuel, not muscle.

3) Ketone bodies are the results of free fatty acids being broken down for fuel. They are not a carbohydrate. Ketosis is a naturally occurring biological state that we all enter into. Ketosis is not ketoacidosis nor is it diabetic acidosis. Any first year medical student can explain the difference to you.

The Atkin’s Diet is one of the most popular low carbohydrate diets & perhaps the most extreme. No more than 20 grams of carbohydrate are allowed each day initially. Considering that a banana contains approximately 26 grams of carbohydrate, the diet is very severe.

Dr. Atkin’s diet is the most popular. During the first two weeks it can be the most extreme. Maintenance on this plan can typically include foods like sweet potatoes, whole oats, brown rice, apples, grapefruit, whole bran, flax meal, any and every vegetable you can name. Bananas are not on the list – bananas are high glycemic tropical fruits – I’d rather have antioxidant rich blueberries instead.

In summary, low carbohydrate diets will cause weight loss of water in the short-term and compromise your health. Short-term side effects include feelings of nausea, light-headedness, constipation, dehydration, & fatigue. Bad breath is also common once ketosis occurs. You cannot get proper amounts of fiber & nutrients. The high fat foods advocated by these kinds of diets are linked to high cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, & certain cancers. High amounts of protein can also lead to kidney problems & osteoporosis.

Restricting carbs and eating whole foods that are comprised of fats and proteins and choosing good carbs in the form of green leafy veggies and bright colour fruits is hardly detrimental to ones health. Feelings of nausea, lightheadedness and fatigue are all symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal. Yes, it’s like a drug for many and it causes the same feelings when you cease to overindulge. Foods like broccoli, spinach, kale, cauliflower, zucchini, romaine lettuce, brussel sprouts, flax meal & seeds, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are all high in fiber and phytonutrients. It’s common to get 20g or more of fiber when eating according to LC guidelines. High fat foods have been linked to high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity heart disease and cancers – you forgot to include, when eaten in the presence of carbohydrates! High amounts of protein do not lead to kidney problems or osteoporosis in healthy individuals.

I would like clear up one last myth; LC eating is not a high protein way of eating; it is a high fat way of eating, protein is merely eaten in adequate quantities.

I trust that since this newsletter was published you have read the science, the real science (the Duke University Medical Center, Harvard School of Public Health, National Health and Medical Research Council) behind LC eating Hopefully you will be more receptive to new ideas, or rather, old ideas.

Regards,
Nat

Just thought I'd add a little something to this discussion.

Doctors are finally seeing low carb as the best way to lose weight and they are prescribing it to their patients, but sadly, most of them really don't know how it works or understand the proper way to go about it.

A co-worker told me that her husband was told to go on Atkins and lose 100 lbs until next year or he would be dead. But the doctor who prescribed this has given him heavy doses of a diuretic. When I told her to check with the doc about this because Atkins says you shouldn't take diuretics with this woe because you can deplete your potassium and other electrolytes, she said, the doctor knows this, he is the one who gave him the diuretics. But the doctor did say that the only concern he has was the postassium.

I think that doctors are just treating this with the same mentality that they used with other diets and this may be harmful and then the woe will get a bad rap again.

Carol

This is a laugh considering that these are the same folks who suggest a diet low in Cholesterol despite there not being A SINGLE STUDY that directly links dietary Cholesterol and Blood Cholesterol. They also advocate a diet low in total fat, despite the fact THEIR OWN STUDIES show that Unsaturated Fats, especially Monounsaturates lower Cholesterol and decrease the risk of Heart Disease. Omega-3 Fats also lower Triglycerides, which further reduces the risk of heart disease. I'm not even gonna get into the fact that Ancel Keyes' studies [which these suggestions were based on] were contradictory and not properly controlled [too many variables to be definitive.]



Restriction of vegetables ??? Only if you consider French Fries a "Vegetable." I don't. As for Fruits, they are allowed in small even in the first two weeks (Cucumbers, Avocados, Olives, Lemons, Limes, and Tomatoes) and in moderation thereafter. As for grains...They serve no usefull purpose. For the most part, they contain very little (10% of total carbs compared to 50-75% for Green Vegetables) Fiber, have almost no nutrients (missing 4 nutrients entirely, average nutrient content is 3% of the RDA,) and cause cravings...which leads to overeating and obesity. As for Protein raising insulin...the amount, if any is minimal, not anywhere near the amount even one Potato or Ripe Banana would raise insulin levels. Fat doesn't raise insulin at all.

As for it contributing to weight gain because it is 9 kcal vs. 4 kcal...that has been disproven on two grounds: first, fat only contributes 5 kcal, 4 kcal are lost (burned) breaking it down into Ketones which your body can use. Second, and most important Fat satiates much better. On average I take in 100-150g of Fat per day...and almost never go above 200g. But, I could easily eat 800g of Carbs from Graham Crackers in one sitting. My daily intake of carbs Pre-Atkins ranged from 400g to 1,200g per day, usually about 600g [which was 80% of my Calories.] So, comparatively, those 600g of Carbs contributed 2,400 Calories...while the 100-150g of Fat I take in now, contributes a meager 500-750 Calories [900-1,350 if you use 9 kcal/g.] That is 1/5 to 1/2 the Calories I would have taken in from Carbs.

Now, let's talk my extremes...400g [my lowest carb intake] of Carbs contributes 1,600 Calories...200g [my highest fat intake] of Fat contributes 1,000 Calories [1,800 according to the FDA.] Using 5 kcal/g, my highest Fat intake beats my lowest Carb intake by 600 Calories. Using the FDA's numbers, my lowest carb intake only beats my highest fat intake by 200 Calories, 1/10th the amount these folks suggest. Now, that is not the best comparison, so let's compare top end extremes...My highest Carb intake exceeds my highest Fat intake by 3,000 [using 9 kcal/g] to 3,800 [using 5 kcal/g] Calories. Now, for the low end...even my lowest Carb intake [Pre-Atkins] exceeds my lowest fat intake [on Atkins] by 700 to 1,100 Calories.



This directly contradicts her last assertation that fat contributes too many Calories. Since we are eating 60-80% Fat, shouldn't out Calories be off the more than twice what they were Pre-Atkins (since fat has 9 kcal vs. 4 kcal for Carbs - per their claims), instead of 1/2 to 2/3 of what they used to be ??? BTW, it doesn't work solely by Caloric restriction, though this is its strongest mechanism. it also works by increasing Caloric output...Remember for every gram of fat your body uses for energy, it has to expend 4 Calories. So, when switching from 10% Fat/10% Protein [what I was Pre-Atkins] to 60% Fat/35% Protein [what I am now,] would result in an increase in Caloric output in the neighborhood of several hundred Calories per day.



What is special about the level of Carbs is that a low intake of carbs supresses appetite, reducing Caloric intake...A moderate intake of Protein provides sufficient Protein to maintain lean muscle [I shoot for 150g/day...this is 2 1/2 times the RDA...levels below 90g in my case usually result in muscle loss...The RDA that these folks suggest is 33% lower than that threshold and will generally result in significant muscle loss.] The level of Fat [which is what Atkins focuses on...not Protein] is important because the higher the percentage of fat you take in, the more Calories you expend.



Hate to tell ya...but just ain't true...I did not lose 93 pounds of Water...What I lost was 93 pounds, 75% of that being Fat. I lost most of the 25% that was lean when I took starch blockers for a month thinking I could get away with eating Bread and Potatoes by taking a pill...I continued losing weight which made me think it was working. But, when I took measurements again after a month, it turned out that most of that weight [in fact ALL of it] was lean muscle. I have gained half of that lean muscle back, while dropping quite a bit more fat...since ditching the Starch Blockers and getting back on track. When I analyzed my journal of foods I ate, I quickly realized the starches had displaced too much Protein.



If by "normal" she means your old way of eating...that is absolutely true. Of course, it is true of ALL diets. I went on a LF/HC diet in 1996...I went from 185 to 168 pounds...Within 1 year of going off, I was up to 213 pounds (+45.) Shortly thereafter, I went on another LF/HC diet, going from 219 to 207 in the following 2 months. Within 1 year of going off that diet, I was back up to 278 pounds (+71 pounds - IN ONE YEAR.) Shortly thereafter, I agrain tried losing weight. This time, I went from 289 to 276 in 5 months. I don't have any data [weight-wise] from then until 2002. So, I do not know how much and how quickly I gained it back, but 2 years later (2002,) I was up to 302 (+26)...and during that time I had tried dieting several more times.



For starters, the Brain can use Ketones almost as effectively, if not as effectively as Carbs. It can get any Glucose it needs from Dietary Protein [one reason we need more Protein is some cells need Glucose which they get from Protein.] If you are taking in enough Protein, your body won't canabilize its muscles. That only occurs in the absence of sufficient Protein. As for muscle composition...technically, it is made of Glucose...but that is only because Protein is made of Glucose [and Nitrogen]...so, by definition anything made of Protein is made of Glucose. Your body can fill its Glucose needs without using muscle...as long as you eat sufficient amounts of Protein.

As for Brain Damage from ketosis...That is ridiculous. This past semester I got striaght As for the first time since the 6th Grade, which incidently, was about the same time I started eating alot of Carbs. Hmm, my grades dropped when my carb intake rose and my grades rose when I my Carb intake dropped. Kinda tells ya something about the effect of too many carbs, don't it ??? IIRC, Ketosis is simply fat burning. To lose fat one MUST enter Ketosis. By slamming ketosis as dangerous, these folks are saying that reducing your body fat is bad for you...The obvious conclusion therefore being that one should remain fat.

Of course, they don't realize they're in Ketosis, because unlike early stages of Atkins where Ketosis is so deep your body is excreting lots of Ketones, resulting in the strips turning purple...the ketosis most LFers [who aren't eating very Low Calorie] experience [if they lose weight] is a light Ketosis that doesn't produce alot of excess ketones, and thus does not tend to as easily turn the strips purple.



Monotonous ??? I eat more variety of foods now than I ever did Pre-Atkins. My diet for the last 3 years was the same general foods (Pasta, Rice, Bread, Crackers, Potatoes, Bananas, Reduced Fat Cheese, Iceberg Lettuce, Carrots, Rice Cakes, Puffed Rice, Cherrios, Soda, and occassionally a little bit of Fish, Chicken, Turkey, or Beef [usually trimmed of visible fat].) On Atkins, I have begun eating lots of foods I didn't eat before before such as Strawberries, Spinach, Broccoli, Romaine Lettuce, Soy, Eggs [which I quit eating in 1989,] Green Beans [which I ate only a few times a year before,] Prime Rib, Chicken with the Skin, Beef with the Fat, etc...



Strange, those are the symptoms I had when I was eating Low-Fat...The symptoms that went away when I went on Atkins. Nausea...Had it on LF, but not on Atkins. Constipation...I wouldn't be able to go for days when I was LFing [despite eating plenty of Fruit and Grains.] Now that I'm on Atkins, my Constipation is pretty much gone. Dehydration...the reason I drink plenty of water. Fatigue...I'd sleep 'till Noon and still went into Carb Comas during the day when I was LFing. At night I was never able to get to sleep [because I'd done it all during the day.] Now, I go to sleep at 11 PM or Midnight and get up at 6-8 AM...and no longer go into Carb comas during the day. Atkins also cured my Indigestion and improved my complexion. Now, that's really detrimental...sarcasm intended.



Let's see:

Bad Breath, Good Cholesterol/TGs, Normal Blood Sugar, Normal Blood Pressure, Healthy Body Weight, No Heartburn, Good Complexion, Sleeping Normal Hours, Lots of Extra Energy, Good Grades, and Generally being Happy and Nice to Everyone Around You.

...or...

Good Breath, High Cholesterol/Sky High TGs, Unstable Blood Sugar, High Blood Pressure, Morbid Obesity, Horrible Heartburn, Ulcers, Face that you could play Connect the Dots on, Sleep during the Day, Insomnia, Carb Comas [while at work/class,] No energy, Poor Grades, and Irritability

Not a hard choice at all...



Not true at all...I have achieved 100% RDA of all Vitamins and Minerals [without supplementation] on 20-30g of Net Carbs. As for Fiber, it isn't counted...and since Green vegetables get 50-75% of their carbs from Fiber, it is very to reach the 20g suggested by the USDA.



High total fat has NEVER been directly linked to any of these. Saturated Fat has been linked to increased Cholesterol...But, that includes both LDL and HDL. Only two Saturated Fats I'm aware of are known to increase LDL considerably [relative to HDL] and according to recent studies, for at least one of those fats...the LDL created is of the less harmfull and possibly beneficial subtype. Trans-Fats OTOH have been linked to a number of these. Trans-Fat is the one fat not allowed on Atkins...LF Diets OTOH suggest that Trans + Saturated be <10% of Total Calories...possibly allowing for an excessive intake of Trans-Fat.

No fat [except possibly Trans-Fat and I'm not sure how much evidence there is for that link] has been directly linked to diabetes. There is an indirect link based on unsound logic. It states that since HF cause Obesity (It doesn't,) and since Obesity causes Diabetes (this has never been proven,) that a diet high in Fat causes Diabetes. As for cancer...nothing could be farther from the truth. Cancer loves Sugar...In fact, Cancer Cells cannot live on anything other than Glucose. An LC diet would make it more difficult for cancer to develop. The theory (also unsound) purporting such a link states that High Fat = Low Fiber (not true,) Low-Fiber leads to constipation (this has not been proven,) and rotting food in the bowels can lead to cancer (also not fully proven)...Therefore, a hi-fat diet causes bowel cancer. The osteoperosis claim is a laugh considering that all the studies that have comapred Atkins Dieters to LF Dieters...showed they lost LESS Bone Mass than their LF Counterparts. Atkins is high in Calcium rich Cheese, Cream, and Vegetables. Plus it is also high in magnesium, which is needed to properly absorb Calacium. Furthermore, since Sugar, which might decrease Ca Absorption is shunned...we should be absorbing more Calcium. The theory that Atkins causes Osteoperosis is based on the belief that Protein lessens Calcium absorption. Recent studies have directly disproven the theory that Protein leeches Calcium, and thus have disproven the basis for this theory.



We eat plenty of variety including plenty of Low-Glycemic Fruits, especially the most Antioxidant Rich ones, Berries...and the most Nutrient Dense Vegetables, the Green Ones.



Bread, Pasta, and Cereal have almost no natural nutritional value...The only reason some are so high in nutrients is that the manufacturers grind up Vitamins and add them to their foods. I could just as easily add 100% RDA of 11 Vitamins and Minerals to a Twinkie...But, it would still be a Twinkie.



Whole Dairy and Full-Fat meats provide just as much Iron and Calcium as their less fullfilling Lean/Skim cousins. Plus, the extra fat increases your Metabolism.



By definition, a diet is how you eat...regardless of whether it is for weight reduction or just because you want to eat that way. But, the way most folks think of a diet...This is true...The only way to lose weight is to change your WOL. This is one way Atkins excels. Most LF Diets, unlike Atkins, have no Maintnance Level, and those that do...have dieters jump right from Weight Loss (Induction) to Weight Maintnance (Maintance)...which all too often results in them regaining the weight. Atkins, when done properly eases one into Maintnance, prevent weight regain.



I already tried that...The Dietician suggested I fill up on bread and avoid Red Meats...You can pretty much figure out what happened after that: Many Failed Diets [following those directions,] which resulted in me losing a few pounds, only to gain it back several-fold. I ended up...gaining 135 pounds eating that way. If an Engineer designed a project which failed so miserably, he'd probably be fired. Same for most other professions. Yet, folks expect us to go back to a Dietician to only hear the same suggestions that didn't work before. Besides, all a Nutritionist/Dietician will tell you is fat is bad and carbs are good.

wow. All I can say is wow. You folks really know how to prove your case. That's why I love this forum!!!

Also in any "diet" or prescription or activity, compliance is a major issue...

I find that most LC'ers are more compliant to their "WOE" than LF'ers... Also, why would our bodies, after millions of years of evolution, not want to take advantage of high calorie macromolecule like fat rather than carbohydrate? The body is a remarkable "biological engine." Actually more efficient than mechanical engines...

My point here is... LC'ing shows results, show promising Fxn tests (Liver, Renal), better Lipid profiles, etc... and dont forget the emotional aspect of LC'ing... (Most LF'ers like to ignore this)

Well, just my two cents,
Korry

Nat,

What an incredible letter! Your rebuttals were right on target and presented so expertly! Most impressive!

I would be very interested in any reply you might get, assuming they have the b***s to do so!

Thanks for trying to put things right. Much appreciated.

Incredible!!

Love It!!

Eating Those Carbs Helps Store The Fat Mix Them Together = Pounds!!!

Oh my gosh! I've lost forty pounds of muscle and the fat is still there!
To think I didn't realize it! Must be that my brain is no longer working on this level of carbohydrates!