Safety of Atkins style diet

[Guest guest]

This is a copy of letter I sent to another group in response to whether or

not Atkins style diets are safe -- the owner of that list did not want me to

use evolutionary arguments -- why I don't know -- I know some of the same

people on that list are also on this one -- and hopefully this time it will

be sent through -- as I say in the letter -- we evolved and are the

consequence of the history and vicissitudes of this planet.

 

n a message dated 11/29/01 1:32:49 PM, mcpheej writes:

 

<< AHA Advises Against High-Protein Diets

 

WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Oct 08 - High-protein diets restrict healthful

foods, thereby placing individuals at risk for a variety of diseases. These

diets are therefore not recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA),

according to a statement by the association's Nutrition Committee of the

Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism. >>

 

I have been on one form or another of an 'adequate' protein and fat, low carb

diet for over two years -- in that time I have not only lost a lot of the

weight I had put on following the pyramid/Ornish/AHA/ADA approved plans, but

have been delighted in the drop in my triglycerides (266 to 56), the lowering

of my LDL (159 to 129), the rise in my HDL from 49 to 62 -- as well as other

health improvements. I worshipped at the base of the pyramid for more than 3

years (not only low fat [almost no saturated fat and cholesterol] but high

complex carbs (no sugar) and averaging about 1400 calories a day. I also

walked over an hour every day. According to my first professor of Nutrition

-- a perfect diet/health plan! Neither she nor my doctor at that time could

understand why I was not only gaining weight but actually seeing my CVD risk

increase. My doctor mumbled something about genetics and offered cholesterol

lowering drugs. Luckily I stumbled upon some books that suggested that fats

(even saturated) were not the enemy, but that carbs (even fibrous, complex

ones) might be. I had nothing to lose so I tipped the pyramid on its head.

Low and behold, my body responded -- it cannot lie!! I think all those carbs

over the years and normal aging made me insulin resistant. I have become a

graduate student in Nutrition and have done my fair share of biochemistry and

have realized that my body was behaving as it should -- carbs lead to blood

sugar increase, which stimulate the release of insulin, which either escorts

the glucose into cells for energy (if needed) or into fat cells for storage

to be used later. Unfortunately I neither needed or could use all that energy

and due to the overstimulation of insulin had led myself right into insulin

resistance which further promoted weight gain and lipid changes -- this

weight gain and lipid changes would have been good had I, like my cave man

ancestors, been facing real winter famine (low carbohydrates) --

unfortunately my 'summer' supply of carbs never ended and I was probably

facing pancreas burnout as my body continued to prepare for a winter that

never came (yes, even at the equator there are distinct fruiting seasons

--some two years apart) -- I am convinced that we are seasonal eaters -- we

have a hard wired craving for sugar to lead us to carbohydrates when they are

season to lay down a fat pad, raise our cholesterol to see us through the

coming winter -- but when winter never comes and we continue to have access

to cheap carbs (mostly super refined), we end up obese, insulin resistant and

eventually diabetic. Artificial light plays its part here too -- read " Lights

Out " by T.S. Wiley. As much as we might pretend and avoid -- we evolved, and

are, of this particular planet with its seasons and diurnal rhythms. Studies

on primates in Africa indicate that ketosis (benign from burning stored fat,

not ketoacidosis that Type 1 diabetics suffer) is normal during

winter/non-fruiting months. In fact, Harper's Biochemistry instructs that any

time we burn stored fat (which is much of the time -- fat after all is great

fuel -- it is a dynamic, not static process), about 10% of the fat is

converted to ketones in the liver. When carbos are in short supply more fat

is converted to ketones -- the heart, muscles and renal cortex actually

prefer ketones. Even the brain will adapt. Actually its not that easy to get

oneself into 'ketosis' -- when there is a measurable amount of ketones in the

urine -- try it sometime. While it may be true that those suffering kidney

disease cannot handle too much protein, there is no evidence that too much

protein (whatever amount that is) causes kidney disease -- my God, there are

the Eskimos and tribes in Africa that eat nothing but meat and fat and yet

are quite healthy and have low CVD. Just think about our evolution -- we

evolved during ice ages and drought -- we learned to make incredibly sharp

stone knives and spears, etc. -- not to harvest a few wild grains or pick

nonexistent fruit, but to kill and consume animal protein and fat. Petrified

poop found in caves reveal almost all of out diet was protein and fat and

little or no carbs. Throughout the bulk of our history our consumption of

carbohydrates was limited to one season of the year and what few things that

might keep -- otherwise we lived on our fat stores and ate what we could kill

-- and that meant protein and fat. We have only had access to year round

sources of carbs for about 9000 years (during which time the human race lost

statue, bone mass, and brain size). Agribusiness and the food industry makes

lots of money on all its cheap, white flour, sugar, hydrogenated oil,

artificially flavored 'products' and doctors tow the line and write out

prescriptions to lower our cholesterol all the while they warn us to avoid

fat and eat sugar -- and we all know the profits the pharmaceutical companies

make -- Anyway I could go on -- and will one day in the form of a book -- but

you get the picture. Take what the AHA, FDA, ADA, etc., says with more than

a grain of salt -- in fact, be plain suspicious for your own good.

 

Namaste, Liz