Atkins works only by cutting needed carbs, expert says

By Karen Haram, San Antonio Express-News

November 17, 2003

link to article

If you are not on the Atkins diet, you probably know someone who is.

Depending on whom you talk to, you will hear claims of fantastic success, predictions of dire problems - and everything in between.

What is the truth?

For answers, I turned to nutrition expert Ed Blonz, a food and health expert with a doctorate in nutrition. Formerly on the faculty at the University of Minnesota, Blonz is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition in Clearwater, Fla., has written seven books on food, health and nutrition and was a featured speaker at the Association of Food Journalists' conference in Boston in October.

Following are Blonz's answers to questions about the safety and efficacy of Atkins and similar weight-loss plans.

Q - In simple terms, why do you lose weight on low-carbohydrate diets?

A - Low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets can appear to be very attractive because they can deliver a significant loss of weight in a relatively short period of time. There's a catch, however, in that aside from being restrictive, quickly lost weight tends to be rapidly regained when you go off the diet. For this reason these diets are of questionable merit for most individuals.

Here's how these diets work. When you eat only protein and fat you have effectively eliminated your body's intake of carbohydrates. This threatens the body's access to glucose. Although the fat stored in the body is our major energy reserve, the body needs small amounts of glucose to help it burn the fat correctly.

Without carbohydrates (glucose), the fats are incompletely burned. The remnants of this incomplete combustion, called ketone bodies, begin to appear. As ketones can be toxic if allowed to accumulate, the body starts to eliminate them through the kidneys via the urine.

The resulting condition is called ketosis, and it also occurs in uncontrolled diabetes when there's insufficient insulin to let glucose into the energy-producing (fat-burning) cells of the body. In either case, uncontrolled ketosis can upset the body's chemical balance and give rise to a dangerous condition called acidosis.

Not having enough glucose, though, means more than producing ketones. The red blood cells have an absolute requirement for glucose, and the brain requires small amounts as well. So when the diet doesn't supply any carbohydrate, the body begins to scavenge around for potential sources of glucose among its own tissues.

Body protein can be used because some of the amino acids in protein can be turned into glucose. The muscles represent the body's largest reserve of protein, and like all protein tissues they are about 80 percent water by weight. When the body begins to take apart its proteins to make glucose, all this water weight gets released and eliminated, and like magic your weight begins to drop.

The shortage of glucose has another side effect in that you won't be bursting with get-up-and-go energy. Sure, you'll be losing some weight, but it's important to realize that a large percentage of the lost weight will be body water (a byproduct of the ketosis).

This weight is quickly regained once one reintroduces carbohydrates. The bottom line is that a low/no carbohydrate diet is a questionable way to lose weight. And besides, who wants to live their life without carbohydrates?

Q - Is it safe to stay on low-carbohydrate diets for a lifetime?

A - Theoretically I would say yes, but it would only be for a "low" carb diet and not a "no" carb diet. If consuming a small amount of carbohydrates, there would need to be a special emphasis on sourcing your available carbs from wholesome, nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits.

The shortage of glucose has another side effect in that you won't be bursting with get-up-and-go energy. Sure, you'll be losing some weight, but it's important to realize that a large percentage of the lost weight will be body water (a byproduct of the ketosis).

So, I've lost 32 lbs. of water weight? My ring and my belt aren't fitting because I was full of water?

Man, I must've been carrying around a small wading pool of water in there. Good to know I wasn't actually fat, just watery.

Glug.

Well there you go. An "expert" said it, so it must be true.

He has a doctorate in nutrition and has written 7 books ?? How did he get his diploma, by mail ?. Maybe I should answer one of those "Get a diploma" email I keep getting and become a doctor of nutrition too.

"And besides, who wants to live their life without carbohydrates?"

Another instance where they ignore the facts. Even on induction, you have plenty of vegetables!
I guess all this energy I've been feeling is just an illusion...like all that water weight I lost

I wish he could point to a long term study to support his conclusions. I haven't seen an actual scientific study that supports his line of reasoning.

Then at the end of the article, he contradicts himself by saying that it's pefectly safe to go low carb for life. As if anyone sane is going "no" carb. It seems to me that commenting on an eating style you haven't actually researched is a poor idea.

--Scott (had 33 carbs yesterday, which is more than none.)

Another idiot just spouting off groundless propaganda.

All these "experts" that don't know the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis really make me want to hurl my Rice Krispie-free breakfast.
Yeah, amazing, isn't it?

Karen

I am sure glad I lost those 110 lbs of water. I think there is plenty of evidense that one can be quite healthy with zero carbs.

What a strange contradiction. First, a typical rant against low-carb. Then an endorsement of Atkins. Go figure.

"The shortage of glucose has another side effect in that you won't be bursting with get-up-and-go energy."



You mean I don't have any energy? Jee, wonder why I'm having such a hard time sitting still these days. Before this WOE my typical Sunday afternoon was napping on the couch with my dog or reading a good book (napping always resulted).

Now I have a hard time sitting still long enough to watch the news. I'm up earlier in the mornings and usually on the move all day long.


I also didn't realize I had only lost water to this point. My rings are loose and I've gone down to sizes in my dress pants. Hmm - was that ALL water?

shortstuff

Geez Guess he has'nt finished reading the Atkins Book!

And gee Hubby will be pleased to know that come next summer, if our Well Water is a little low, somewhere there is 45 pounds of water................... But where did I put it?????

Cheers Kathy

Hence, the reason Atkins is a WAY OF LIFE, not a short-term diet. I've tried starving myself on Low-Fat diets...It doesn't work. I could never have lived the rest of my life constantly hungry. I'll have been on Atkins for 1 year on December 7...and you know what, unlike LF Diets where I was always waiting for the day I could go back to my old WOE [because I was sooo hungry]...I don't crave much of my old WOE anymore. Sure I'd like to have Potatoes occassionally, but that is allowed on occassion once in Maintnance. I never plan to go back to eating White Bread and Soda. I haven't had anything with a significant amount of Refined Sugar (small amounts in foods that are low in net carbs such as Deli Meats, excluded) for a year now, and I don't miss it. Sliced White Bread and Sweet Rolls...Haven't had any since going LC and don't miss them either.



For starters, it is LOW-CARB, not NO CARB. Secondly, the body does not need Glucose except for a few cells, tissues, etc...which can't use ketones. They can get all the Glucose they need from DIETARY Protein. As long as you are eating enough Protein, your body is not going to cannabalize its muscles for Glucose.



Ketones are the natural byproduct of fat burning...To use a car analogy, they should be viewed like Water (H20) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) not as Carbon Monoxide (CO) as he is trying to make it appear.



Ketoacidosis occurs when you have BOTH Hi Blood Sugar and are burning ketones. It is a condition, which occurs only in TYPE 1 DIABETICS and is not the result of Ketosis. Ketones are simply one symptom of Ketoacidosis, much like sweating is a symptom of some diseases...But, that doesn't mean sweating causes those diseases or that running a mile will cause you to contract a disease.

Most importantly, the Ketones are not the problem with Ketoacidosis, the Hi-Blood Sugar is...AFAIK, it is not possible to have both Hi-Blood Sugar and be producing large amounts of Ketones [at the same time] unless you are Diabetic.

With Ketoacidosis, insulin is not released and your body cannot use the carbs you take in. They are broken down into Glucose, but that Glucose can't be used. So, they build up...resulting in Hi-Blood Sugar. In the absence of usable Glucose, the body turns to Fat, resulting in the production of Ketones. The Hi-Blood Sugar is what can kill you, not the Ketones.



As I said before, if you take in enough Protein, it will get whatever Glucose it needs [beyond the 20-100g of Carbs, you are already consuming] from Dietary Protein.



So, I lost 100 pounds of water ??? Oh, that must be what the 16 inches (waist,) 10 inches (chest,) 12 inches (hips,) and 5 inches (each thigh) was made of...I never realized I was storing that much extra water.



Let's see, my low [Pre-Atkins] carb intake of 600g/day must be why I was sleeping half the day and never felt like getting up and doing anything...I wasn't getting enough Glucose...while my high carb intake of 30g/day [now] is why I sleep normal hours and am bursting with energy.



I'm more than willing to live the rest of my life WITHOUT refined carbs. Atkins is not a NO CARB diet. So, I don't have to live the rest of my life without unrefined carbs. I eat Green Veggies everyday. In fact, I usually exceed the 5 servings/day [by a large margin] recomended by the Gov't. I also eat Berries at least once a week...and lower-carb citrus (Tangerines and Tangelos, as well as small amounts of Lemon-Lime Juices on ocassion. I also eat Home-Made LC Croutons...which are made from Soy and Whole Wheat. So, I'm also getting 1/2 to 1 serving of Whole Grain a day. I even have a Potato every few months.



Exactly the types of Carbs that Atkins says to get our 20g (induction) to 60-100g (Maintnance) from.

Considering this first question from the interviewer:

(emphasis mine)

Why does the "expert" then go on to answer questions as though he was asked about a NO carbohydrate diet? And to top it all off, he then finishes his interview with this statement in response to the question of whether or not it is safe to stay on a low carb diet for a lifetime:



All I can say to this is...well DUH!! Once again another "expert" who hasn't bothered to read word one about low carbing or he would realize that even the induction phase of Atkins emphasizes exactly that. Yes, even during induction you get nutrient rich fruits (avocados and tomatoes) and veggies and you only add more as you progress through the different phases.

Can doctorate degrees be revoked on the grounds of ignorance?

He is a doctor of nutrition. That's not a real doctor. If he went to medical school he would find out the difference betweent the various types of ketosis.

For lunch yesterday, I restricted myself to poached salmon with pepper and lemon, steamed asparagus dripping with butter, and a very small apple. Though I really did [NOT!] want a muffin from Tim's but bravely ate it so I could continue to lose weight.