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Our buns are disappearing! Just last week, the headlining article in the newspaper pictured a person taking a big bite out of a burger with a. . .phantom bun. You too can order the low-carb burger at your favorite fast food stop. We are nolonger concerned with the evils of fat. It’s new, its exciting, it’s . . .the Low Carb Craze! No sooner did we discover that not all fat is bad and that our bodies actually need good fats to function, the Atkins
diet
and Low-Carb Phenomenon took frontand center stage and now we believe all of our ills and problems are the result of too many carbohydrates in our diet. Talk about switching from one extreme to the other! The modern-day obesity and diabetic crisis is certainly going to be the focus of our health care community during the next decade.
Dr. Tommy Thompson, Secretary of the Health and Human Services, along with FDA commissioner, Dr. Mark McClellan, has made obesity and diabetes their primary health care issue. The diet industry andfood industry have joined together to promote the concept that a low-carbohydrate diet is NOW the healthiest diet in the world. It is no longer fat that is our enemy but rather, carbs. What does a physician have to say about this extreme shift? This month’s newsletter will focus on the medical truth about the Low-Carb Craze and its resulting health consequences sweeping this nation.
Principles of the Low-Carb or Atkins Diet
Dr. Robert Atkins first introduced his low-carb diet in the early 1970’s. The primary concept of this diet is that you should restrict the intake of ALL carbohydrates in an attempt to create a metabolic state within the body called “ketosis.” Let mebriefly explain. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuelsource and are needed for energy by every cell in the body for the creation of energy. Carbohydrates are also needed by the body to process and utilize the fat and protein we consume in our diet.
An eating regimen void of carbs creates a metabolic state in the body similar to starvation. The cells are essentially being starved of the fuel source and nutrients theyrequire for optimal health.
This forces the body to break down fat and protein (fat and muscle) to create a secondary source of fuel, called ketones. Anyone who has aggressively followed the Atkins Diet or similar diets knows they are able to check their urine with a dipstick urine analyzer to note how severe their “ketosis” has become on the diet. In fact, this is the technique used by diet centers or health care practitioners to determine how well their clients or patients are sticking to their diets. If they are not cheating (eating any significant amount of carbohydrates), their ketone level in the urine will be very high. Because this is not a healthy state and places a tremendous amount of stress on the body, Dr. Atkins originally recommended strongly that no one stay on this diet for longer than two weeks. However, over the years this recommendation has fallen by the wayside with other low-carb diet programs and the release of Dr. Atkins’ most recent diet books.
Positive Aspects of the Low-Carb Diet Craze
Just as there are some good aspects of the low fat diet, there are also positive aspects of the low carb diet. Since 85 to 90% of all carbohydrates consumed in the US today are either high-glycemic or highly processed, eliminating these is a necessity for one’s health. When considering that our currentepidemic of insulin abuse and insulin resistance (which is the result of repeatedly spiking one’s blood sugar), the low-carb diet goes a long way in correcting this problem. The low-carb diet helps break this cycle and corrects one’s “carbohydrate addiction”--the craving caused by the following chain reaction ofevents:
1. you spike your blood sugar by eating highly processed junk food, thus overstimulating the release of insulin,2. causing the blood sugar to drop down into a hypoglycemic range(uncontrollable hunger),
3. which then releases stress hormones necessary to bring the blood sugar back up into its normal range.
This is why individuals who go on a low-carb diet, such as the Atkins diet, will usually begin to see improvement in their blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and if they are diabetic, improvement in their blood sugar control.
Without a doubt, the daily consumption of highly processed and high-glycemic carbohydrates are the cause of the modern day obesity and diabetes epidemic.
Everyone will benefit from cutting these bad carbs from their diets! However, there are some serious health concerns that result from low-carb diets and we need to look closely at why they are so dangerous.
The Danger of Low-Carb Diets
When you essentially eliminate carbohydrates from your diet you are placing yourself in a “false” state of starvation. The body will quickly use up its stores of carbohydrates in the muscle and liver, which are known as glycogen stores. Each individual has approximately 500 grams of glycogen stored in his or her muscle and liver. These glycogen stores are a ready source ofcarbohydrate fuel needed by the body to function between meals or during periods of fasting (for example, during sleep). When you begin a low carb diet, it takes only two to three days to use up all of your glycogen stores.
What most people do not realize is that there are three grams of water attached to each gram of glycogen. For every gram of glycogen you burn, you will release three grams of water. This creates an approximate 5 to 8 pound weight loss within 3 to 5 days of beginning a low-carb diet.
This quick weight loss is highly promoted by the promoters of the Atkins and other low-carb diets; however, up to this point, none of the loss is fat-- just glycogen and water. As soon as you begin to eat carbohydrates again, these glycogen stores and water will be quickly replaced. Once the body has totally used up its glycogen stores, it has no other option than to beginbreaking down both fat and protein to provide the body with a secondary source of fuel called ketones. When the ketones in the blood stream begin to rise, “ketosis” has begun. You may evendevelop what we refer to as “ketone breath.” The brain wants and desires glucose as its source of fuel. However, when the ketones become high enough in the blood stream, the brain is able touse these as its secondary source of fuel. This same thing happens during a prolonged fast. You essentially begin feeding off your body—it literally starts eating itself. A low-carb diet may feel very similar to a prolonged fast: your appetite and desire for carbohydrates begins to wane; you may feel a mental “high” for a short period of time; however, because you are only providing the brain with its secondary source of fuel, you maybegin to notice that you don’t feel well, you may become agitated, irritable, and unpleasant to be around.
What is wrong with burning up all this fat? The problem is that you are burning up muscle at approximately the same rate as fat. Yes, you are losing weight but burning up muscle is not what you want.
For years, I have followed patients in my medical practice who have aggressively followed the Atkins diet. The one consistent thing I have noted is that even though these patients do indeed appear thinner; their color is poor and their percent of body fat has not changed. In other words, after following their percent of body fat over the years I have noted that if they had 25% body fat before they start the Atkins diet, they still have 25% body fat following the Atkins diet. They lost just as much muscle as fat and their percentage of body fat did not change.
Why is this important? Muscle is your body’s engine. It normally utilizes 85 to 90% of the calories you consume. When your musclesbecome larger, you utilize many more calories. When your muscles become smaller, you need fewer and fewer calories. Now no one stays on the Atkins diet forever. Why? The body begins to crave the need for carbs. It is essential for our health. As they begin to eat more carbohydrates, they immediately replace their glycogen stores and regain this artificial weight loss, but they also begin to gain weight back much more quickly than before because their engine is smaller.
In other words, the Atkins diet actually creates a greater weight problem in the long run than if they would have never started the diet in the first place!
Another main objection to the low-carb diet is that by definition it is actually a low-carb, high-fat, high-protein diet. In other words, there is typically no limitation on the amount of fat or protein that the dieter can consume--only the carb intake is limited. These diets may, in fact, recommendeating good fat; however, people who are excited about the Atkins diet are most often excited about the fact that they can eat as much cheese, butter, steak, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, chicken, and turkey as they desire.
Just look at the commercials now showing for the fast food industry highlighting their newest low carb menus. The bun may have disappeared, but NOW you get a low-carb tortilla filled with cheese, sausage, beef, and bacon. Come on, now! Whatdoes your common sense say about this?
Thousands of studies reveal concrete evidence that the more saturated fat you consume, the greater your risk of developing heart disease andstroke.
Most individuals who’ve been on the Atkins diet defend it because they argue that after the induction phase they are able to slowly increase their carbohydrates and eat a healthier diet.Please don’t be missed. You are only able to increase your carbohydrates to the point that the underlying ketosis is not affected. If you eat too many carbs, you will begin to replace those glycogen stores and not only quit losing weight but also begin to gain.
What is the normal reaction when individuals who love to eat have come off Atkins diet? After beginning to gain weight, they go back on the Atkins diet for another bout of quick weight loss(they again lose those glycogen stores and water). Feeling happy and lighter, they believe they’ve found the answer to their weight problem, when in reality they have simply become a classic“YO-YO” dieter.
The Body Needs and Desires Carbohydrates
The other main problem with the low-carb diet is the fact that you are eliminating one of the major food groups needed by the body for optimal health. Carbohydrates are essential for ourhealth. All of our fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes are primarily carbohydrates. These are our main source of all vitamins, minerals, phyto-nutrients, and antioxidants that our bodies so desperately need for optimal health. Why is it that when we identify a problem with a particular food group that the solution is to just eliminate that food group from our diet? This is what we did when we felt that fat was the problemand it is what we are doing now because we believe carbohydrates are the problem. This does not make sense for anyone seeking a healthy, disease-free life. Our bodies need fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to function normally at its optimal level.
We must grasp the reality that there are good fats and bad fats; there are good proteins and bad proteins; there are also good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. When you try to eliminateany of these food groups from your diet you are placing your health at risk. This is why the low-fat or the low-carb craze is simply wrong.
I believe that the low-fat, high-carb
diet
phenomenon of the past two generations is the primary cause of the obesity and diabetic epidemic of today. I also believe that if the low carb phenomenon goes unrivaled, it will usher in an entirely different set of health problems— equally as serious.
I see it leading to nutritional deficiencies of all vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants as well as increased risk of kidney failure, heart disease, and yes, an increase in obesity.
Reprinted with permission by Dr. Strand. Please do not reprint without permission from Dr. Strand.
More articles on this site by Dr. Strand
Ray Strand, M.D.
Quickly becoming one of the world's leading authorities in nutritional medicine, Dr. Ray Strand has been involved in a private family practice for over 30 years. During the past 12 years, he has focused his practice on preventive and nutritional medicine. He has lectured on this subject across the United States, Canada, and Australia. He is the author of Releasing Fat, What Your Doctor Doesn't Know about Nutritional Medicine, and Death by Prescription.
Dr. Ray Strand's Website
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