carbohydrate, and it must be eaten within a hour
period. The plan does not count carbohydrate
grams. It has a list of foods called ‘‘Craving–Reducing
Foodsrdquo; that are allowed through out the day.Function
The macronutrients in foods, fat, protein, and
carbohydrate are converted to energy during digestion
in a process called metabolism. The human body
needs fat and protein to survive. Both fats and proteins
are converted into energy as they are digested. Carbo-
hydrate is converted to glucose as the body produces
the hormone insulin. Insulin stimulates the body to
store excess energy as fat. Unless the energy generated
by these carbohydrates is used immediately, the excess
is stored in the form of fat within the body.
The human body does not actually need carbohy-
drate to survive, though other important nutrients
such asvitaminsare found in fruits and vegetables
which are primarily carbohydrates with little or no
fat or protein. Many cultures live healthy lives and
consume only meat andwater. These cultures, such
as the Inuit or Eskimos, live long, healthy lives on diets
essentially carbohydrate free.
In high fat/low carb dieting weight loss occurs
because reducing carbohydrate intake causes the
human body to convert fat stores into energy. This
process is called ketosis. Ketosis is a very efficient form
of energy production that does not involve the pro-
duction of insulin. When insulin levels remain con-
stant, excess energy is not stored as fat. Combining
the fat-burning of ketosis and the stabile insulin levels
created in the absence of carbohydrates, high fat/low
carb diets generally lead to rapid weight loss. The
rationale is that it is not fat or even calories that
cause people to be overweight, but rather inefficient
or unhealthy insulin cycles.
Nutritionists argue that, as with any weight loss
plan, weight loss on high fat/low carb diets is caused
by the reduction in calories caused by essentially elim-
inating an entire food group from the diet and not
from a particular metabolic change.
Benefits
Many of today’s modern health concerns such as
type II diabetes, heart disease, and obesity may be
linked directly to improper insulin metabolism. Mod-
ern diets are high in carbohydrates. This excess carbo-
hydrate consumption leads the body to be in a
constant state of insulin production causing high levels
of insulin to remain in the blood stream. This excess
insulin may leads to a condition called Insulin Resist-
ance Syndrome which causes illnesses such as diabetes,
heart disease, and obesity.
Proponents of high fat/ low carb diets suggest that
following these plans will lead to rapid weight loss,
lower blood cholesterol levels, and increased energy.Precautions
While following a High Fat/ Low Carb diet, indi-
viduals must drink plenty of water. When the body
burns fat for energy it creates waste products called
ketones or ketone bodies. Drinking plenty of water
helps to flush these by products out of the body.Risks
Individuals with kidney disease should not
attempt high fat/low carb diets because of the risk of
kidney failure. Similarly, a diet high in fats may be
harmful to individuals with advanced coronary artery
disease or gout. These conditions may be worsened by
the increased fat consumption.
Nutritionists express concerns over the long term
adherence to a diet high in saturated fats. The Amer-
ican Heart Association has repeatedly expressed con-
cerns about any diet plan that encourages increased fat
consumption and a reduced consumption of a variety
of fruits and vegetables fearing that this diet will lead
to increased risk ofcoronary heart disease, stroke,
andcancer.
There have been individual case reports of indi-
viduals who experienced severe metabolic acidosis or
too much acid in the blood, after following a high fat/
low carb diet. However, this appears to an isolated and
rare complication of this diet, and many doctors argue
that in individuals with normal kidney and liver func-
tion, high fat/low carb diets will not cause this con-
dition. At least two long term studies with significant
numbers of participants reported no cases of meta-
bolic acidosis.Research and general acceptance
General acceptance
While the ideas behind most of the high fat/low
carb diet plans have been circulating since the late
1800s, debate has continued about the health benefits
of a high fat/low carb diet. Many nutrionists and
doctors believe this way of eating is not healthy in
the long term. However, other doctors and proponents
believe that the medical community is vested in a set of
dietary guidelinesis fundamentally flawed and has
lead to the epidemic of obesity and obesity-relatedHigh-fat/low-carb diets