The following article is a press release promoting a book, Low Carb & Beyond.... If anyone has looked at this book already, please share your thoughts. The press release sounds rather obvious and redundant. We should all know to carefully read ingredients on a package before purchasing, and I know there are many people out there who don't bother, and believe they're the reason for articles and books such as this.

Doctor reveals new risk for low-carb dieters.
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/5/emw124561.htm

Doctor finds low carbers at risk for immune system disorders by eating only foods labeled low carb. He labels this affliction LCTS.

(PRWEB) May 9, 2004--A 2003 Gallup poll disclosed that 47 percent of the U.S. population is now monitoring carbohydrate intake. It is estimated that the “low-carb” diet is followed by over 50 percent of weight-conscious Americans. The sales of low-carb products and services have been estimated at $15 billion in 2003. Everywhere you look, food products are popping up labeled low carb. Bread, pasta and other flour products have lowered their net carbs (the ones you absorb) to entice you to pig out without putting on weight. Candy and “health” bar manufacturers have given us so many new choices for low-carb confections that whole supermarket isles are devoted to those treats. Even soft drink and orange juice makers have found a way to lower carbs. So, you gobble all these acceptable foods in hopes that you will stay slim, lose weight and prevent heart attacks.

The enormous popularity of low carb diets has triggered the scientific community to research the nutritional and metabolic basis of the food regimens as well as the health effects of artificial sweeteners used especially in so-called diet drinks. As Dr. Howard Peiper mentions in the book, Low Carb and Beyond, that lifestyle may not keep you healthy. You may become a victim of the Low Carb Tunnel Syndrome (LCTS) where you fail to look a your body’s needs. Instead you may become focused on eating anything that claims to be low carb without consideration to ingredients. In Low Carb and Beyond, we are told that the body needs to absorb nutrients or we will eventually die. Carb blockers found in many low-carb foods prevent absorption and may prevent the body from gleaning nutrients from those foods. Dr. Peiper says, "Eating is supposed to be a ritual that is necessary to sustain life. If what you eat doesn’t get absorbed, how can you stay alive?"

People afflicted with Low-carb Tunnel Syndrome (LCTS) are making the confection industry boom. Low-carb sugar alternatives such as aspartame, sucralose, maltitol, erithritol, ACE-K, sorbitol, lactitol, dieters are not absorbed by the body and therefore do not cause carbohydrate absorption. Unfortunately these sweeteners also come with side effects such as headaches, diarrhea and worse which are overlooked by those afflicted with the LCT Syndrome. If it becomes acceptable to gorge oneself on low-carb drinks, bars and desserts, the dieter may emerge with an nutrient-deficient body. When sweets are consumed on a constant basis, the body continually craves its next fix. Low-carb or not, a person becomes addicted to these non-sugar treats and substitutes them for healthy life-giving food.

Public health officials are sounding the alarm: poor eating habits are at the root of an epidemic of obesity and diabetes and these conditions are linked directly to hypertension, heart attacks, and strokes. Diets high in refined carbohydrates are linked to many illness. But restricting all carbohydrates from your diet could compromise your immune system indicated by symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, joint problems, acne, wrinkles and digestive disorders.

Since their inception, low-carb diet proponents have altered their recommendations. Once known as protein diets, deleterious effects on the body prompted them to add vegetables and other low-glycemic carbohydrates to the program. These current diets are much healthier and include whole-grains, low-fat foods like chicken or fish instead of high fat meat, olive oil instead of saturated or hydrogenated oil, and snack foods such as popcorn or whole-grain pretzels or bread. In his book, Dr. Peiper outlines a program of eating that takes into consideration low carb, food-combining, acid/alkaline balancing, choosing organic foods and adding supplements. He claims that by rounding out your low-carb diet you will avoid LCTS and maintain a more healthy lifestyle.

-Low Carb and Beyond, www.safegoodspub.com
(888) 628-8731
-------------------------------------------

Here's a review on the book itself:

Low Carb & Beyond...
By Nina Anderson, S.P.N and Dr. Howard Peiper
Foreword by Dr. Frederic J. Vagnini, MD FACS
ISBN 1-884820-76-X
Price: $8.95 US / $12.95 CAN
64 pages
http://www.safegoodspub.com/Product...1278&Category=4

"Low carb" is the current buzz word for weight-reduction and a more healthy lifestyle. Most of the low-carb diet books you read focus on eliminating foods. We talk about keeping the body in balance while you restrict your high-glycemic carbohydrates. Our approach gives you a better all around method to health and weight loss and should be part of every low carb lifestyle. Just reducing your intake of carbohydrates and bulking up on protein will not assure permanent weight loss or good health. Carbohydrates are needed for body. This book will help you choose which ones can support a healthy body.

Our program that enhances your low-carb lifestyle takes a whole-body approach and allows you to choose a more well- rounded diet while maintaining the core of the low-carb diet. Of course, don't forget about exercise. It's very important. You should get a workout several times a week, especially if you're an office-chair potato. We cover only the nutrient portion of a diet, but remember the body is a whole package. By adding exercise, relaxation, and laughter you can make dieting a win-win experience.

Review for Low Carb and Beyond:

4 STARS!

A book has finally emerged into the low-carb arena that gives us answers to the question, "are low- carb diets healthy?" The authors of Low Carb and Beyond have done an excellent job of defining the jargon surrounding low-carb labeling, and have given us factual information regarding carbohydrates and their necessity in proper body function. The book is concise and to the point. It takes us beyond dieting and gives us a program that incorporates into our low-carb lifestyle proper eating, nutrition, food combining, and the use of supplements. All-in-all this is a great book that should be read by anyone who is considering restricting their intake of carbohydrates.

-Glenna Blackwell
Shoppers Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Low carb: getting Up to Speed 9
2. Low carb for athletes? 15
3. Rounding out your low-carb program 19
Digestion 19
Food combining 21
Probiotics 25
Balancing acid and alkaline foods 26
Fatburning foods, fat-blockers, carb-blockers 28
Meat is not the only protein 30
What not to eat 32
4. Immune support while eating low carb 37
Minerals keep you alive 37
Healthy fats are good for you 39
Antioxidants and supportive nutrients 41
Brain health 44
Detoxifying 46
5. The consequences of high-carb eating 49
Epilogue 52
Resource Directory 53
Appendix 60
Sample Chapter From The Book:

Chapter 1
Low carb: getting up to speed

Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy, but we process carbohydrates differently. Complex carbohydrates are the good guys and the ones that are metabolized without extreme spikes in blood sugar. Simple carbohydrates are those foods that are converted into sugars in the body and can cause erratic levels in blood sugar and insulin resistance. Sweets, refined flour products and some fruit fall into this category. Carbohydrates should be 50-60 percent of your daily caloric intake. For example if you eat 2000 calories per day, you should have 300 grams of carbohydrates and if your diet is 2500 calories, the carbohydrate intake should be 375 grams. These carbs should primarily be obtained from the complex variety of foods (vegetables, whole grains, etc.)

Carbohydrate junkies who love their ice cream, pasta and bagels may actually be creating a physical imbalance in their body that can lead to overwhelming cravings for more high-carbohydrate foods. Snacking becomes a way of life, and those extra pounds seem to accumulate at an alarming rate. Carbo junkies try one diet after another and rarely are successful at keeping the weight off. Substituting artificial sugars or taking an occasional alcoholic drink may instantly trigger cravings for the real thing. The largest risk of maintaining a high-carb diet is that you enter into the high-risk group for heart disease, high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes, and artherosclerosis. Publicity regarding these risks has prompted many people to adopt a low-carb lifestyle.

A 2003 Gallup poll disclosed that 47 percent of the U.S. population is now monitoring carbohydrate intake. It is estimated that the "low-carb" diet is followed by over 50 percent of weight-conscious Americans. The sales of low-carb products and services have been estimated at $15 billion in 2003. By following low-carb programs you will be able to better balance insulin levels, therefore reducing the insulin resistance that leads to carbohydrate cravings, easy weight gain, and the risk of associated illnesses. People who begin a low-carb program usually discover their cravings for starches, snack foods, junk foods and sweets are greatly reduced within the first forty-eight hours. Energy levels soar, and people sense a greater feeling of well-being because their body is not fighting substances that are putting it at risk. No wonder so many people have adopted this lifestyle.

The enormous popularity of low carb diets has triggered the scientific community to research the nutritional and metabolic basis of the food regimens as well as the health effects of artificial sweeteners used especially in so-called diet drinks. Not all carbs are absorbed. The FDA requires total carbohydrates to be included on the labels, but they do deduct the non-effective carbs from the total. These are carbohydrates such as glycerin, fiber, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, and sugar alcohols that are not absorbed by the body and do not affect the body like simple carbohydrates (sugar). Glycerine is used as a lubricant in products to make them easier to ingest. Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is an ingredient derived from corn and created through enzyme hydrolysis. Sugar alcohols are polyols (sugar-free sweeteners) that chemically resemble sugar and alcohols but are mainly excreted out of the body. These include maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol and xylitol.

The healthiest of these "additives" is fiber, an undigestible complex carbohydrate found in plants and not absorbed by the body. The part of the plant that we eat is called dietary fiber and is an important part of a healthy diet. Dietary fiber is made up of two main types-insoluble and soluble. The average American currently eats 10-15 grams of fiber (20-30 gm. daily recommendation) and only about 25 percent of this is soluble fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. Insoluble fiber passes through our digestive tract largely intact. Both types of fiber are important in the diet and provide benefits to the digestive system, helping us to maintain regularity. In addition to the digestive benefits mentioned above, soluble fiber has been scientifically proven to reduce blood cholesterol levels, which may help reduce risk of heart disease. Deducting glycerin, fiber, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate content gives you what is called Net Impact Carbs or Effective Carb Count (ECC). "Total carbs" in products may include high-caloric sweeteners (glucose, fructose, maltodextrin, cereal starches). These are not recommended for dieters or diabetics because the added sugar is broken down by the digestive system and absorbed.

Defining the type of carbohydrates consumed is critical. Glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood sugar levels. This index measures how much your blood sugar increases in the two or three hours after eating. New information shows that High Glycemic carbohydrates (see Appendix) can be found in sugar, potatoes, bagels, and alcohol. Low Glycemic Index foods (see Appendix) may include whole grain or rye bread, pasta, citrus fruit, apples, grapes, peanuts and milk.

The majority of snacks found in vending machines such as chips, candy and cookies, contain white sugar, glucose, sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup. These sugars not only are high-glycemic but also contribute to weight gain and can create significant energy imbalances. You may first experience a burst of energy after eating sugar. The low energy point usually occurs within one to two hours after eating something that contains a large concentration of sugar. You end up feeling tired or hungry for another snack (more sugar) that can boost your energy. A specific negative effect of sugar is that it creates a mineral deficiency. When sugar is refined such as white sugar, its natural minerals are stripped away. Refined sugars increase the rate at which we excrete the mineral calcium. Low levels of calcium can create further mineral imbalances resulting in illnesses of the nerves, bones and cranium. Mineral deficiencies can result in various health deficiencies, exacerbate bone loss and facilitate memory problems.

Another side effect of refined sugar is that it slows down the secretion of gastric juices. This reduces the stomach's ability to digest foods. Without proper digestion, you will not absorb nutrients needed for optimum performance. If you must have a snack with a high-sugar gram count, eat it one to two hours before or after a meal. This will reduce the negative affects on the digestive process.

Not all sweeteners create blood sugar and digestive imbalances. Fructose, oligofructose and stevia, an herbal sweetener, metabolize slower. We refer to these sugars as "slow-release carbohydrates" because they are less likely to give you instant energy followed by fatigue an hour or two later as your blood-sugar balance changes. If you are choosing a food or drink that is sweetened, and you need long-term stamina during work or exercise, select products containing slow-release sugars.

Low-carb products normally use sugar substitutes to drop the carb content but keep the sweetness. Some of these may come with side effects depending on the individual and the amount consumed. Sugar alternatives include aspartame, sucralose, erithritol, acesulfame K (ACE-K), maltitol, sorbitol, lactitol. Not all people are affected by these substances therefore, we recommend you do your own research and make your own decision as to their usage.

Since their inception, low-carb diets have altered their recommendations. Once known as protein diets, deleterious effects on the body prompted proponents to add vegetables and other low-glycemic carbohydrates to the program. These current diets are much healthier and include whole-grains, low-fat foods like chicken or fish instead of high fat meat, olive oil instead of saturated or hydrogenated oil, and snack foods such as popcorn or whole-grain pretzels or bread.

It is imperative that when you choose a low-carb program you incorporate a whole-body approach. Don't automatically eliminate foods just because the package labels indicate carbohydrates. You must learn to balance the body instead, and by following the recommendations outlined in subsequent chapters, you will be able to select foods more wisely.

1. Heller, Dr. Richard, Dr. Rachel, Vagnini, Dr. Frederic, The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program, Ballantine Publishing Group, NY, 1999.

Wow, hopefully those jumping on the LC bandwagon will educate themselves with this book. I'm glad someone is finally touching on the subject of the low carb marketing craze that has bastardized the whole LC WOL. I will even buy the book myself!

Heh - but the people with LCTS tend to be the people who wing it and couldn't be bothered reading a proper LC book, so what makes Ms Anderson and Dr Peiper think they'll read this one?

It is a classic "preaching to the choir." You'll sell more books if you promise the impossible, not a clear, well thought out analysis of a dieting marketing scheme. Oh well, could be a good read for the choir

I have to agree that if people think that they can live on a steady diet of frankenfoods and be healthy, they're in for a rude awakening but that's not (or shouldn't be) the point of low carb in the first place.
The majority of our foods should be unprocessed meats, vegetables, some lower glycemic fruits and perhaps some higher carb whole foods once in maintainence. An occasional treat is fine, but morning, noon and night is not fine nor is it healthy for anyone.
The question becomes, how do you educate those that seemingly don't want to be educated? Those that are living on a steady diet of low carb frankenfoods are likely the same ones who mistakenly thought that as long as the product was "low fat" they could eat as much as they wanted with impunity. They are also likely the same ones who didn't bother to do any self-educating on the subject and instead relied on the "experts" and the media to educate them (and we all know how the media gets everything wrong when it comes to reporting on low carb).
I agree with Kristine. If folks can't be bothered to pick up and read a book on low carb and get the message that whole unprocessed foods are what should be making up the majority of what we eat, how are they any more likely to read this one?

Maybe if they stamped "Eat what you want and lose a pound a day just by reading this book!!!" across the front of it they could trick them into reading it? They could hide a disclaimer *results not typical on the bottom of the back page to cover their heinies legally.....

I thought that is why the Low Carb professors (such as Atkins) preach about taking supplements? They say by eating low carb and taking supplements is much healthier than eating all those carbs.

BTW, a lot of vitamins are fat soluble. In other words, in the absence of fat, your body can not absorb them. So eating low fat is not the answer.

It's really ironic to hear all this "stuff and nonsense" about not getting enough nutrients in low-carb as if it's the only diet plan to suggest that supplements are necessary. Actually, I haven't heard of any diet plan, low-carb, low-fat, or whatever, that doesn't either include supplements in their product as pills or fortification or recommend supplements to augment their diet. Besides, you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need eating just meat and vegetables -- at least at maintenance levels. And you don't need fortified grain products to do it either.

It's just during weightloss that you might not be eating vegetables at levels high enough to get all the nutrients you need, that's why you take supplements.

Actually supplementation is important regardless of eating plan (weight loss diet or not) mostly because our food sources, in some case even natural ones, are so nutritionally depleted by over-farming and processing that it is hard to truly get the level of nutrition that our body needs, even from eating mostly whole foods--which is the long term goal of Atkins at least.

Supplementation is designed to fill in the gaps.

Living on convenience foods alone is a dangerous thing, regardless of how anyone eats, but it is sooooo tempting when a person is busy to rely on convenience stuff. I think that it is extremely important to get in the habit of reviewing nutritional information because not all frankenfoods are alike.

Comparing an Atkins Morning Start bar, for example, to a Carborite cereal bar is a world of difference. The Atkins Morning Start bar uses glycerine primarily as a sweetener rather than the Carborite's maltitol. The Atkins bar is supplemented with vitamins, where as the Carborite's bar is not.

Certainly the majority of our diet should be whole foods--that's what we need to try to do.

Is this supposed to be a low-carb diet?---seems more like the same old high-carb, low-fat, saturated-fat phobic diet to me--- am I reading this wrong?

You're right. I should have said in an ideal world we wouldn't need to supplement at maintenance levels of carbs.

Isn't it just as unhealthy to continue to eat high fat cr*p and binge on 100's of carbs a day?? All of this "hypothesis" on LCing in general does nothing to inspire people to live by a healthy way of life - there will always be "opinions" on why this or that should be wrong, why it does you no good etc.
Of course people should not depend on sugar substitutes - or unheathy diets full of franken foods...but researchers need to realise that not everyone is the same and people can make informed choices - look at all of us!!!! We're not all adicted to sugar substitute because we a sensible enough to realise that we need to eat a balanced diet - I think that if they need to warn people about this kind of thing then the people who it's aimed at are probably too thick to do anything about it and change.