An interesting critique of the Paleo diet

[tex]

Like all good things, a paleo diet can be very helpful, but becoming a zealot can defeat the purpose.

Tex

[mbeezie]

I am one who worsened on a strict paleo diet. In some ways I felt great, energetic, less hungry etc, so I can understand why people are drawn to paleo eating. But in my case but it aggravated my hives/itchiness and I got D. I am guessing that the diet was too high in salicylates (and maybe fiber) from almond flour and other plant foods. I am back to eating more safe carbs and my hives are under better control and I haven't experienced D. Humans are evolving and so is our diet. Some can safely eat grains so plaeo is not meant for everyone. Thanks for sharing.

Mary Beth
Reformed Cave Dweller

[Zizzle]

Here's an excellent balanced approach to the Paleo diet. Of course for many of us, it still suggests strict Paleo is the way to go. Sigh. I've been gaining a little weight since my prednisone dosage dropped (WEIRD, I know!), so I might need to go full Paleo soon to make sure my small clothes still fit!

http://chriskresser.com/beyond-paleo-12 ... 86bb4a7911

[Zizzle]

Ths article really makes me wonder if low-carb dieting is healthful at all, especially for those of us with pre-existing digestive issues.

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ ... or-perish/

Complications related to low-carb diets

Low- to zero-carbs diets are effective “fat-burners” for younger people (up to age 35 to 40) with perfect gastric digestion (i.e., in the stomach) and a relatively low-stress lifestyle. For all others—especially people who are not as well, not as young, morbidly obese, or already diabetic, or who have digestive disorders and/or high-stress jobs—these diets may cause a great deal of harm for the following reasons:

● A person may no longer be as responsive to endogenous insulin (i.e., insulin that is produced by the pancreas), a condition known as insulin resistance. A high concentration of insulin in the blood inhibits fat loss and causes a broad range of cardiovascular complications.

● A person may be affected by thyroid or adrenal disorders that disrupt the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates and may cause rapid wasting of bones and muscles.

● A person may already have digestive disorders (for example, atrophic gastritis, pancreatic insufficiency, enteritis, or gallbladder disease) that may prevent foods from assimilating. Alternatively, dieters develop these disorders if they suddenly change the composition of their diet from being predominantly carbs to being predominantly proteins and fats, a rather common occurrence.

● A complete withdrawal or significant reduction of carbohydrates may cause a continuous wasting of muscle tissues (with commensurate weight loss at a rate of 50 to 100 grams daily, which will be much more in people with impaired digestion of protein) related to gluconeogenesis — a process of turning protein into glucose required for proper functioning of the blood, brain and central nervous system.

● Low-carb diets have a tendency to cause dehydration in early stages. Because water represents up to 60% of an adult’s body weight, severe dehydration alone may demonstrate a 5- to 10-pound weight reduction even in moderately overweight adults.

In addition to all of the above concerns and complications, low- to zero-carbs diets are inappropriate for people with pre-diabetes or diabetes because they may exacerbate metabolic acidosis and are well known for their complications. These complications include unstable blood sugar, delayed stomach emptying, chronic gastritis, severe dehydration, crippling fatigue, diet-breaking constipation, brittle nails, hair loss, amenorrhea, infertility, birth defects, and others.

[gluten]

Hi Zizzle, Thank you for post. My hair test results show what happens when you reduce carbohydrates. For the next three months it is recommended that 50% of my calorie intake should good quality carbs because I am wasting muscle mass. I am turning protein into glucose and glad I have two protein shakes a day. Jon

[Leah]

Yes, we all need carbohydrates, but we CAN get enough if we eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The problem is that most people don't when they go "paleo" or "Atkins".... and with us MCers, many of us don't tolerate lots of fruits and veggies. That's the reason I keep rice and corn products in my diet.

Leah

[tex]

Well, call me a skeptic, but when I look at that list of "Complications related to low-carb diets", I see what appears to me to be almost a systematic grasping at straws designed to dis the low carb diet. When I go through them one by one, the response that comes to mind for most of them is, "So what?".

For example — "Low-carb diets have a tendency to cause dehydration in early stages." So what? Too many of the claims lean way too heavily on the side of zero carb issues, and the examples given are mostly extreme examples, rather than typical examples.

If you look at that overall list objectively, it appears that the gist of what the author is trying to say is that carbs are easier to digest than fats or protein, so that means that we should eat mostly carbs. Really? That strikes me as a rather weak argument. It's an argument of convenience, rather than an argument of science or nutrition.

Tex

[JFR]

The best book on the science of low carb is "The Art and Science of Low Carb Living" bt Volek and Phinney.

Jean

[JFR]

The most patently absurd statement in this critique of low carb diets is this:

In addition to all of the above concerns and complications, low- to zero-carbs diets are inappropriate for people with pre-diabetes or diabetes because they may exacerbate metabolic acidosis and are well known for their complications. These complications include unstable blood sugar, delayed stomach emptying, chronic gastritis, severe dehydration, crippling fatigue, diet-breaking constipation, brittle nails, hair loss, amenorrhea, infertility, birth defects, and others.

From the Nutrition and Metabolism Society http://www.nmsociety.org/index.html :

Diabetes - Our Position Statement

Diabetes might reasonably be described as a disease of carbohydrate intolerance:

normal stimulation of insulin production is impaired (type 1),
or the response to glucose-stimulated insulin is compromised (type 2).

Practitioners and layman alike therefore assume that some form of carbohydrate restriction is a first line of attack.

Most of us are surprised to find that health agencies such as the American Diabetes Association continue to recommend high levels of carbohydrate and to emphasize a reduction in fat.

The NMS is concerned that this apparently counter-intuitive approach is, in fact, not supported by scientific research.

You can find out about the scientific research and nutritional approaches advocated by the NM Society by following the research links on this site.

Also from the Nutrition and Metabolism society:

"People with gluten intolerance are not told to consume gluten (that would be absurd). Yet equally absurd, those with carbohydrate intolerance (diabetes) are told to consume large amounts of carbohydrates
Ron Raab OAM, B.Ec"

I personally have found that eating a low carb diet over about the past decade (occasional lapses but never anywhere near the amount of carbs in the Standard American Diet) has been very helpful. It keeps my weight stable (I lost 85 pounds and now maintain that loss), lowers my blood pressure, and keeps my blood sugar within normal range, to name a few. It also, for a long time, improved my digestive issues but since I didn't understand how food sensitivities worked I still ate foods that it turns out I was reactive to. This forum provided the missing piece of the puzzle for me in terms of how to eat. No one is required to eat low carb and no doubt there are people who can tolerate a lot more carbs in their diet then I can, but that is different than blanket statements that claim low carb diets are dangerous.

Jean

[tex]

Jean,

I agree 100 %.

The author of that article may have had good intentions (though I suspect that what he really had was an agenda), but he appears to be a prime example of a case where a little education can be a bad thing.

Tex

[JFR]

A good website about low carb eating and why it is good for you:

http://www.drjaywortman.com/blog/wordpr ... diet-faqs/

Jean