Girlfriends' Locker Room: Does "Low-carb" make you sick?

June 24, 2004

Does "Low-carb" make you sick?

APRIL: Is anyone absolutely SICK of seeing and hearing about "low-carb" products, cookbooks, and the like?
Check out an Atkins "bar" and tell me how it differs from a Snickers bar. Try to purchase a simple loaf of bread without sifting through shelves all low-carb loaves. Does anyone eat bread anymore? Why is eating a bagel more lethal than downing a 12-ounce porterhouse? Who is sick of hearing about low-carb?

THERESA: I agree, and so do a lot of health experts, apparently. A new group has just been formed, Partnership for Essential Nutrition, "to help educate Americans about the need for healthy carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains." Here's part of their mission statement: "Created in response to new opinion research which finds that many consumers hold a stigmatized view about carbohydrates and other essential macronutrients, the Partnership for Essential Nutrition is dedicated to providing guidance regarding the important contribution that all three macronutrients -- carbohydrates, protein and fat -- play in promoting good health and successful weight loss and to present the latest scientific evidence describing a healthful range for each. As such, the Partnership will help to address the many misperceptions resulting from the recent "craze" towards no- and low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss, so the public will have complete, authoritative information upon which to make their food purchasing decisions."

Hand me an apple, would ya?

LAURIE: Me, too! I am always skeptical of things that tout their "low-whatever" properties, except for dairy products. All the others seem to compromise something so they'll be tasty enough to appeal to people. Putting extra sugar and salt in low-fat foods, for example.

It is curious, as we've said before, how swiftly the food industry has responded to what is basically a well-intentioned effort to eat healthy. That is good, even if the execution is imperfect.

KIMBERLY: Oh, don't believe the hype with all of this "low-carb" hysteria. It is total nonsense. Fifty to sixty percent of our calories should come from carbohydrates (complex and simple). The only carbs we need to avoid are processed and highly refined ones (man-made).

Following these low-carb or Ketogenetic diets can be dangerous. If a (low-carb) ketogenetic diet continues for long periods of time, serious damage to the liver and kidneys can occur, which is why most of these diets recommend only short-term use, typically 2 weeks. Other side effects of low-carb diets include dizziness, headache, lethargy, weakness and, constipation, and nausea. A diet low in carbohydrates, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals is liable to make you feel irritable, sluggish, and deprived.

DIANE: As Kimberly said, it is hysteria. Carbohydrates are an important macronutrient. The major role of carbohydrates is energy. Every cell in the body requires carbohydrates for energy. The liver can store enough glycogen in the liver for about 12 - 16 hours. If glycogen stores are depleted and carbohydrates are not eaten, the body will take glucose from other sources - like MUSCLE! The important message, which has been cleverly disguised by food manufacturers, is that the dangerous carbohydrates are those that come from overly processed foods! So, go eat an apple. If you want to make it a more complete meal, add 1 oz of low fat cheese with it. Be healthy, not hysterical, and enjoy!!!!!!

Comments

I gave up white bread years ago, not because of a carb-reduced diet but because I read how nutritionally empty it is. So when I order a sandwich in a restaurant now, I ask for a wrap or whole grain bread and people say, "Oh we have Atkins items on the menu for you."

People who are on Atkins are staunch supporters of it and say the rest of us just don't understand the diet, it's not that severe, it works so well, their lipids are great etc. etc. but I would never be able to go on a diet that said carrots are not a good food choice because they're full of sugar. Actually, they're full of nutrients and shouldn't be considered in the same light as a candy bar!

Posted by: Gloria on June 24, 2004 10:55 AM

Yea, I don't really understand this whole atkins diet thing. Giving up some vegetables and grains and what not. But I work at subway, and they offer "atkins friendly" wraps and salads.. but ... a few of the items have BACON on them!! I'm like what?!!! Don't you dare touch that cookie but here eat this over processed slab of fat thats been soaking in lard for a few days!! Yum. Its rediculous! LoL

Posted by: Cori on June 24, 2004 04:57 PM

Don't know if this was in response to the Partnership for Essential Nutrition announcement, but Dr. Michael Greger has just launched a site sorting out Atkins facts from hype, all with documentation from the scientific literature. It's at
http://www.atkinsfacts.org

Posted by: Vance on June 24, 2004 08:38 PM

You ladies are clueless. Please go educate yourself on the science of why low-carb works, AND is healthy. Hint - it has do with hormones.

And Diane, you don't need carbs for energy - not a single one. They're used for that, if they're present, because that's all they're good for. But you don't need them. And the energy produced in absence of carbohydrates is more efficient, because the body doesn't have to compensate for the blood sugar swings carbohydrates cause.

Posted by: Vic on June 25, 2004 06:04 AM

Vic- You are clueless. Carbs are essential to your diet. Maybe lo-carb is good in someways, but it can not make up for the damage it does to you. In order to function correctly, you need carbs. Carbs are essential for breakfast. If you don't have carbs, your muscle will eat itself away.

Posted by: Jannet on July 19, 2004 01:26 AM

Answering The Critics

While mainstream medicine and nutrition have, on the whole, criticized the Atkins Diet, the facts speak for themselves:

Dr. Atkins and his colleagues at The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York have treated over 60,000 patients using the Atkins Diet as a primary protocol. These patients experience all the beneficial effects detailed above, as well as improved blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and a lower or completely eradicated dependence on prescription drugs.

While the mainstream critics continue to lament the consumption of fat as the root of America's weight problem, only carbohydrate consumption (mostly refined) has increased in the past few decades, while fat consumption has declined (as the 'low-fat/high carb' diet has been promoted as the best nutritional option for every living person). During this time:

Obesity, which in the past had consistently applied to about 25% of the population, increased to 33%

Heart disease now accounts for 50% of all deaths, up from 40% in the 1970s

Cases of diabetes are growing in near epidemic proportions (in fact, children are now contracting adult-onset diabetes)

Hypertension, chronic fatigue and attention-deficit-disorder are now well recognized conditions.

All of these conditions are linked not by the amount of fat in ones diet, but by blood sugar disturbances and insulin disorders caused by excessive refined carbohydrate consumption (FYI: The average person now consumes over 150 pounds of sugar a year, up from less then 10 pounds in the 19th century).

While medical and nutritional journals are filled with studies documenting the body's requirement of essential fatty acids and essential amino acids (derived from protein), there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. Why then does the FDA recommend an average of 16 servings a day?

The Atkins Diet is not a no-carbohydrate diet. The diet focuses on very limited consumption of the types of carbohydrates that tend to spike blood sugar levels the most, including non-whole grain bread, pastas, refined sugar products, juices, and high sugar/starchy fruits and vegetables. Atkins Dieters learn to determine their personal sensitivity to carbohydrates, as a way to manage their weight and health for life.

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