Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

94 Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

offer powerful protection against cancer. Even his more permissive

diets, supposedly for maintenance, are dangerously low in these

anti-cancer foods. Atkins's devotees adopt a dietary pattern com-

pletely opposite of what is recommended by the leading research sci-

entists studying the link between diet and cancer.^6

Specifically, fruit exclusion alone is a significant cancer marker.

Stomach and esophageal cancer are linked to populations that do not

consume a sufficient amount of fruit.^7 Scientific studies show a clear

and strong dose-response relationship between cancers of the diges-

tive tract, bladder, and prostate with low fruit consumption.^8 To the

surprise of many investigators, fruit consumption shows a powerful

dose-response association with a reduction in heart-disease, cancer,

and all-cause mortality.^9 There is also a striking consistency in many

scientific investigations that show a reduction in incidence of colo-

rectal and stomach cancer with the intake of whole grains.^10 Colon

cancer is strongly associated with the consumption of animal prod-

ucts." And these researchers have concluded that the varying level

of colon cancer in the low-incidence population compared with the

high-incidence population could not be explained by "protective"

factors such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals; rather, it was influenced

almost totally by the consumption of animal products and fat.

More saturated fat = Higher cancer risk

Less fruit

Less saturated fat = Lower cancer risk

More fruit

There are numerous ways to lose weight. However "effective"

they may be, some are just not safe. We wouldn't advocate smoking

cigarettes or snorting cocaine simply because doing so would be ef-

fective in promoting weight loss. Advocating a weight-loss program

based on severe carbohydrate restriction is irresponsible. You may

pay a substantial price — your life!

Short-Term Benefits? Long-Term Dangers!

An argument can be made for the usefulness of diets like the one ad-

vocated by Atkins because they often do result in weight loss. Being

overweight is such a health risk that there are some real health ben-

efits one receives from losing weight, even if the mode of weight loss