Are Low-Carb Diets Healthy?

Point by Point

"Low carbohydrate diets are a short term attempt to solve a long term problem." I've been low-carb for 4 years, and it just keeps getting better. No desire to go back.

"Few people can maintain the usual low carbohydrate weight loss diets indefinitely." Probably because they don't received the necessary support and guidance from health professionals! I've had no problem sticking with it, except when I fly because airlines have no clue what constitutes low-carb!

"People often describe these diets as greasy and tiresome." You betcha! I have 400 calories of whipping cream every day for breakfast on my low-carb muesli! All that grease is probably what makes my (younger) friends ask me how I have such nice skin!

"the diet becomes difficult to maintain in the long term. The diet does not teach long-term, healthful eating habits." No, doctors who conform to outdated ideas do not teach healthful eating habits and do not give patients the advice and support to be successful in the low-carb WOE. Luckily, I was able to do it for myself, after reading The Diabetes Solution by Richard K. Bernstein, M.D.

"There is a large body of research that shows that blood lipid profiles (cholesterol, LDLs, HDLs) are adversely affected when people eat high saturated fat and high cholesterol diets when the diets are not accompanied with weight loss." If not accompanied by weight loss, that means that people are still eating too much carb which stimulates insulin production which stores fat. I eat a package of brie or camembert EVERY DAY as a snack but my lipid profile is gorgeous and my BMI is 19.1! But of course, I don't eat carbs.

"what are the consequences when weight is regained and the consumption of high fat, high animal protein diets with more carbohydrate become the usual diet?" That's ALREADY the usual diet, or haven't you looked around?!

"It should be noted that not all low carbohydrate weight loss diets are the same." That's for sure!!!

"Epidemiologic studies have indicated that people who eat plant based diets have lower incidences of certain chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and certain bone diseases compared to people eating high animal protein diets." Epidemiological studies are the poorest kind, because too many variables are uncontrolled. Even controlled studies often rely on patient recall which is sketchy at best.

"This healthful association of plant based diets, which are high in carbohydrates, has been further reinforced by research into the benefits of the Mediterranean diet that is low in animal protein, especially red meat ." Plant-based diets are not necessarily high in carbs. It depends which vegetables you eat. I eat lots of vegetables. Just not potatoes and other starchy ones.

"Because many of the studies on animal versus plant based diets (high carbohydrate) are epidemiologic studies we don’t know for sure that there isn’t a confounding factor such as lifestyle that could account for some of the beneficial associations of a plant based diet. Still, the association of plant based diets with less incidence of certain chronic disease cannot be summarily dismissed." No, but it means that we need to devise (as many researchers already have) BETTER studies to answer the questions.

"Certain low carbohydrate weight loss diets incorporate some vegetables, however, a variety of whole grains, fruits and vegetables is recommended. Consuming significant amounts of these foods is not possible with truly low carbohydrate diets." There are very few nutrients that you can get from a fruit that you can't also get from a vegetable. Grains are a new introduction to the human diet, from an evolutionary perspective. Our bodies don't need them, and in many cases, cannot tolerate them.

"Ultimately, the promotion of high animal protein diets (which low carbohydrate diets generally are) is also bad for the individual and the planet in some indirect ways." The development of agrarian lifestyles was the worst thing that ever happened to this planet and to human. When we were running after our food (mammals, fish, birds, etc.), we remained in a state of equilibrium. It's the farming of grains that allowed the human population to explode beyond its natural limits.

"Livestock production requires large amounts of water , grain and energy ." Not if livestock are grazed rather than grain-fed - makes for better quality meat too.

"It is much more efficient to eat higher carbohydrate plant foods rather than feed them to livestock to produce high protein, high fat foods such as meat." True, although I'm sure this is offset by the fact that eating carbs MAKES YOU HUNGRY which makes you eat more than you need and store the excess as fat. If people only ate what they really need, less food would be consumed, more people would be healthy so fewer people would need to take antibiotics, etc.