LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIETS
Report #7295
The best selling diet of the 1990's, The Zone, preaches restricting carbohydrates to fewer than 40% of calories. It works, but the author makes the wrong recommendations.
The author states that taking in carbohydrates causes blood sugar to rise to high levels, calling out large amounts of insulin that makes you hungry so you eat more and causes your liver to convert these extra calories to fat. A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that the author is correct (1). Men who restrict carbohydrates eat less, no matter how much extra protein and fat they are given, but, there are different types of carbohydrates. There are whole grains that have a hard outer shell that releases sugar slowly into the bloodstream and calls out little insulin and there are refined carbohydrates found in bakery products that cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and a high rise in blood insulin levels. Any diet that restricts all carbohydrates is unhealthy because virtually all studies on the subject in the last 25 years show that the healthiest people eat the most carbohydrates in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. Instead of telling people to restrict carbohydrates, he should tell people to restrict REFINED carbohydrates, such as food products made from flour; and eat lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News
A Sparti, MM Windhauser, CM Champagne, GA Bray. Effect of an acute reduction in
carbohydrate intake on subsequent food intake in healthy men. American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 66: 5(NOV 1997):1144-1150.
Reported 10/12/97; checked 8/9/05