"Nutritionists ask: just how healthy is an Atkins bar?"
 

March 08, 2004

Nutritionists ask: just how healthy is an Atkins bar?

By Peta Bee

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/articl...1030461,00.html

A RANGE of foods developed by the company behind the Atkins diet are labelled misleadingly, nutritionists claim.
The foods, which include chocolate bars, milkshakes and cakes, are marketed to people on the controversial diet and are now sold at Boots, Asda, Tesco and healthfood shops around the country.

Experts believe that claims made in the labelling of the products could mislead consumers over the carbohydrate content. Analysis of the products found they have a higher carbohydrate content than prominent labelling suggested.

A 60g Atkins Advantage Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Bar contains almost as many calories as a 65g Mars Bar and more than a regular bar of chocolate-covered marzipan.

Under European Union labelling laws, manufacturers are legally required to list the total number of carbohydrates on the packet. But makers of low-carb foods often include an additional label that has information on the “net carb” value of the food.

Displayed on the front and reverse of the Atkins Advantage Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Bar is the claim that the bar contains “2g net carbs”.

The label adds: “For those controlling their carbohydrates, count only 2g of the 17.4g of carbohydrates in this product. Subtract polyols, maltitol (5.2g) and glycerine (10g), which have a minimal impact on blood sugar. Net carbs are the only carbs you need to count when doing Atkins.”

The net carb figure is reached by subtracting polyols or sugar alcohols, including maltitol and glycerine, intense sweeteners which are ingredients in most of the Atkins products. Because they contain fewer calories — maltitol has 2.1 calories per gram compared with 4 calories per gram in table sugar — than regular carbohydrates they are digested more slowly by the body and have less impact on blood glucose levels . This, according to Dr Atkins’s theory, is helpful in weight loss.

But Richard Faulks, a senior researcher at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, said that many sugar alcohols, including maltitol and glycerine, are metabolised for energy like regular carbohydrate and therefore trigger an insulin response, a fact the Atkins manufacturers appear to have overlooked and which casts doubt on the real meaning of the “net carbs” figure.

“Their theory is that sugar alcohols don’t raise blood sugar as quickly or as high as regular carbohydrates,” he said. “They are ignoring the fact that they do have some effect.”

Curiously, even Dr Atkins himself was once opposed to the use of sugar alcohols for people converting to his low-carb approach. The 1998 edition of the New Diet Revolution states: “Sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol and other hexitols or sugar alcohols are not allowed, nor are any sweeteners ending in the letters -ose, such as maltose fructose etc.”

By 2002, this statement had been eliminated and replaced by the recommendation that “some controlled-carb food products can come in handy” and “more and more companies are creating healthy products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins”. These included the diet’s spin-off company, Atkins Nutritional.

Collette Heimowitz, vice- president of education and research at Atkins in the US, defended the labelling of the products. “Not enough was known about sugar alcohols in 1998,” she said.

Nutritional content of an Atkins Advantage Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Bar (per 100g)

Energy (calories) 1637kJ, 392kcal
Protein 32.2g
Carbohydrates 28.9g (of which sugars 1.9g, polyols 25.2g, maltitol 8.7g, glycerine 16.5g)
Fat 20.2g (of which saturates 9g, fibre 8.3g, sodium 0.2g)

Nutritional content of a Mars Bar (per 100g)

Energy (cals) 1885kJ, 449kcal
Protein 4.2g
Carbohydrates 69.0g
Fat 17.4g

I agree with the questionable dropping of sugar alcohols but if they listed the full Nutritional label the bars do contain some calcium,vitamins and fiber that you don't get in a candy bar.

I'm sick of this crap from Nutritionists about "Net Carbs." "Net Carbs" is a term created by LC Diets. It has a meaning specified in the LC Books. Atkins says [in the most 2002 edition] that "Net Carbs" means Total Carbs - Fiber - Polyols - Glycerine. Nutritionists may disagree with this formula, but that's irrelevant. NOONE is being mislead when a label lists "Net Carbs" as long as the formula in the latest edition of the book was used to arrive at that number.

You don't see people whining and moning about how many products list the Weight Watchers "Points" on the container..."Net Carbs" is really not that much different. They're both numbers derived using a formula based on certain information about the food. Weight Watchers "Points" are calaculated using Calories, Fat, and Fiber. Atkins "Net Carbs" are calculated using Total Carbs, Dietary Fiber, Sugar Alcohols, and Glycerine. Both are a number that has meaning only to dieters. Its not like they're replacing the Total Carbs on the label with the "Net Carbs." You can still flip the package over and look at the label...just as you would if you picked up a product that says it has 3 "Points," but you aren't on Weight Watchers.

This statement makes no sense. It isn't the number of calories that has to do with how fast or slow a body digests these. It has to do with the actual chemical structure of the compound and what the body has to do to convert them enzymatically into a form the body can get into cells to burn

But I am put off by the prominent "net carb" labeling too - if you read around this forum, there are many who feel that such products are not the same as eating a 2 total carb healthy fresh veggie in terms of effect on weight loss! My sense is that Dr. Atkins is no longer (and even wasn't when he was still alive) in control of the commercialization of his ideas.

:lol: That was my thought exactly! :lol:

I totally agree! I have felt that way for a while now.

I also totally agree with cc48510's post. I dont know why people make such a big fuss over it.

I was at Kroger Thursday and saw Cole's Garlic Bread (the frozen kind) listing 5 net carbs per 1 oz. portion in a big red "you can eat me" star. The whole package is 12 oz. and I was cracking up thinking that MY 6 oz. portion would be 30 grams. Everybody's trying to jump on the bandwagon...