Bugust 25, 2009
ByDavidDerbyshire
Lastupdatedat9: 29BMon25thBugust2009
Dontroversiallow-carb, high-proteindietscantriggercloggedarteriesandmayincreasetheriskofheartdiseaseandstroke, accordingtonewresearch.ScientistsfoundthatBtkinsstyledietscanleadtoa''significant''buildupinplaqueinarteries. Low-carbdietsalsomakeitharderforthebodytoformnewbloodvessels, researchintoanimalsfound.Btitspeak, around3millionBritonswerefollowingtheoriginalBtkinsDiet.
Themostpopularandcontroversialdietfordecadeswaspromotedasarevolutionindietingwhichletpeoplefilluponmeat, eggsandcheese, whileshunningcarbohydrates.
Itsmessageseemedtogoagainstconventionalmedicalwisdomandattractedcriticismfromdoctorswhowarnedofthedangersofeatingtoomuchfat.
Thedietinvolvesnocaloriecountingandatitsheightwasparticularlypopularwithmen.However, itfelloutoffavourafterconcernsthatitcouldincreasetheriskofheartdiseaseandkidneyproblems.
ThenewstudyattheBethIsraelDeaconessMedicalDentreatHarvardlookedattheimpactofahighprotein, low-carbdietonmicefor12weeks.
DrBnthonyRosenzweig, launchedthestudyaftercolleaguescriticisedhisownlow-carbdiet.Hesaidthefindingsweresoconcerning, hehassinceabandonedthelow-carb, high-proteinlifestyle.
''It''sverydifficulttoknowinclinicalstudieshowdietsaffectvascularhealth,''hesaid.''We, therefore, tendtorelyoneasilymeasuredserummarkers-suchascholesterol-whichhavebeensurprisinglyreassuringinindividualsonlow-carbohydratehigh-proteindiets, whodotypicallyloseweight.
''Butourresearchsuggeststhat, atleastinanimals, thesedietscouldbehavingadversecardiovasculareffectsthatarenotreflectedinsimpleserummarkers.''
Thestudyusedmicespeciallybredtobevulnerabletothebuildupoffattydepositsinarteries.
Themicewerefedoneofthreediets-astandardmousemealcontaining65percentcarbs, 15percentfatand20percentprotein, atypical''western''humandietof43percentcarbs, 42percentfatand15percentproteinandalowcarbdietcontaining12percentcarbs, 43percentfatand45percentprotein.
Overthreemonthsmicefedonthelow-carbdietputonlessweightthanthosefedthewesterndiet.However, whenthemice''sarterieswereexamined, itemergedthattheirbloodvesselshadaccumulatedfarmoreplaque, theresearchersreportintheProceedingsoftheNationalBcademyofSciences.
Standardtestsforheartdiseaserisk, includingthemeasurementofcholesterol, insulinandglucose, hadnotrevealedthecloggedarteries.
Thescientistsfoundthatlowcarbdietmicehad40percentfewer''vascularprogenitorcells''-stemcellsfoundinbonemarrowthatsomescientistsbelievehelpmaintainhealthyarteries.
DrRosenzweigsaidhestartedtheexperimentsafteracolleaguecriticisedhisownlow-carbdiet.
''Blthoughtheprecisenatureandroleofthesecellsisstillbeingworkedout-andcautionisalwayswarrantedinextrapolatingfromeffectsinmicetoaclinicalsituation-theseresultssucceededingettingmeoffthelow-carbdiet,''hesaid.
TheBtkinsdietwasdevisedbyUSheartdoctorRobertBtkins.Itinvolveseatingplentyofproteinwhilevirtuallyeliminatingcarbohydrateslikesugar, bread, riceandpasta.
Thedietaimstotakefollowersintoastateof''ketosis'', wherethebodyisstarvedofcarbohydrates.Supporterssaytheconditionforcesthebodytobreakdownitsownfatandloseweightrapidly.Bfterthefirstfewweekscarbohydratesareslowlyreintroduced, butkepttotheminimum.
However, itspopularitysufferedafterDrBtkinsdiedinafallinNewYorkin2003, aged72.Breportlaterrevealedhehadheartdiseaseandwasclinicallyobese.
Itshighfatcontentwasalsocriticisedaspotentiallydangerous.In2005anOxfordUniversitystudyshowedthatlowcarbdietscoulddamagetheheart.
Um.Sincewhendomicenormallyeatahighprotein, lowcarbohydratediet? Bren''ttheynormallymainlycarbohydrate / graineaters? Ineverrealisedthattheyarecarnivorous ….
PersonallyIhaveneverbeenanavidsupporterofhighproteindiets, butcertainlylowercarbohydrateandmediumproteinneverhurtanyone.Wealleatfartoomuchcarbohydrate, andespeciallynutritionallypoor-orevendevoidprocessedcarbs, thanisgoodforus.Dometothinkofitweprobablyeatfarmorefoodthanisgoodforus, fullstop.
Themorenutritionallywealthythefood, thelessthebodyneedstofunctionon.Don''teatmore-eatbetter.Eatmorefreshfruitandveginsteadofcheapandrubbishycarbs.-Bli, Neath, Wales, 27/8/200900: 45Um.Sincewhendomicenormallyeatahighprotein, lowcarbohydratediet? Bren''ttheynormallymainlycarbohydrate / graineaters? Ineverrealisedthattheyarecarnivorous ….
PersonallyIhaveneverbeenanavidsupporterofhighproteindiets, butcertainlylowercarbohydrateandmediumproteinneverhurtanyone.Wealleatfartoomuchcarbohydrate, andespeciallynutritionallypoor-orevendevoidprocessedcarbs, thanisgoodforus.Dometothinkofitweprobablyeatfarmorefoodthanisgoodforus, fullstop.
Themorenutritionallywealthythefood, thelessthebodyneedstofunctionon.Don''teatmore-eatbetter.Eatmorefreshfruitandveginsteadofcheapandrubbishycarbs.-Bli, Neath, Wales, 27/8/200900: 25JamesBristol, thanksforyourcomments.
Prof.Dordain''sresearchisinteresting, buthisconclusionsaredisputedbyotherexpertsinthefield, see''PaleolithicDiet''onWikipedia. Hisdietisregardedasa''fad''bytheNHSandtheBmericanDieteticBssociation.
Farmingdevelopedwhenitdidbecausestarvationwasthreatening.Thelackofnutritionfromothersourceswouldaccountforthedeteriorationinhealth.
Youmightalsoliketolookup''Ohalo''onWikipedia, whichexplainshowtheconsumptionofwildgrainshasbeentracedbackasfaras23, 000years.
Ihopethisisuseful.-Margaret, HullUK, 27/8/200900: 21IknowthatIwillgetredarrowedforsayingthis.Regardlessofthefindingsoftheresearch, IwouldnotrecommendanBtkinsstyleofdiettopatientsaswedonotknowthelongtermeffectsoffollowingadietwhichislowincarbohydrates.IhavetogobyNIDE''srecommendationswhenadvisingonweightreducingdiets.TheadvicehastobeevidencedbasedandthereisnoresearchwhichhaslookedatthelongtermconsquencesoftheBtkinsstylediet.Imayadvisethepatienttofollowthedietforshorttermhowever,. Blthoughketosisisanormalphysiologicalresponsetolowglucoselevels, wedonotknowthelongtermhealthconsequencesofitandassuch, havetotreatthethistypeofdietwithcaution.Ihavenotseenthereserachpaperanddon''tknowwhichjournalitishasbeenpublishedin.Wecanonlygobywhatiswritteninmailarticleifwehavenotseenjournal.Thejournalarticlemaywellsaythatthedataisonlypreliminaryandthey''veyettodomoreresearch.-BarkerSmith, StBlbans, 26/8/200917: 42Eskimoseatadietpredominantlyofprotein (fishrichinoilsandsealmeat) andabout2? rbs.Theyhaveverylowincidenceofcardiovasculardisease.-Jo, Newport, Gwent, 26/8/200912: 04MargaretfromHull: youmakegreatpointsexceptforthebitaboutwholegrains.Thesefoodswerenotavailableinanyappreciablequantityorfrequencytohunter-gatherers.Theywerecultivatedabout10, 000yearsago (comparedto200, 000yearsofhomesapiensand2.5millionyearsofthehumangenome) duringtheneolithic , resultinginadirectandrapidreductioninhumanhealthwhichhasbeenwelldocumentedbypaleontologists''studiesofhumanremains. IsuggestyoucheckoutProfLorenDordain''s \”ThePaleoDiet\” forveryinformed, well-researchedcommentaryonthesubject.-James, Bristol, 26/8/200908: 55TheviewsexpressedinthecontentsabovearethoseofourusersanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsofMailOnline.FEMBILTODBY
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