Diet Fad Pet-Peeve Vindication

The low-carb, high-protein diets like Atkins drive me crazy. Not only do their devotees go around proclaming the virtues of meat at every meal, but they also spend considerable time trash-talking really good things, like (homemade) bread and veggies and pasta and fruit. In the nutrition class that I have been taking, there is substantial data about the myriad issues with high-protein diets ... and yet they persist, as do their dedicated subscribers. Finally, there is some pretty definitive science showing that the low-carb, high-protein diet is not all that it is hyped up to be. Long story short ... a study of more than 100,000 people over 20+ years showed a higher all-cause and cancer mortality rate for those who followed a meat-based low carb diet. The study conclusion: "A low-carbohydrate diet based on animal sources was associated with higher all-cause mortality in both men and women, whereas a vegetable-based low-carbohydrate diet was associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality rates."

Check out the article and study abstract below for more detailed information.

Article
Study  

Hooray for vegetables!

Nutrition food for thought*:

• recommended amount of protein in average American diet: 10 - 25% of total caloric intake
• sedentary Americans eat up to 50% more protein than is recommended
• potential health risks of high-protein diet: cardiovascular disease, low bone density, stress to kidney function
• increased protein intake does not result in an increase in muscle mass or enhanced athletic performace

* as summarized from Nutrition: An Applied Approach, 2nd Edition 2008