How Is The Sugar Busters Diet Supposed To Work?

"Sugar Busters!" is a bestselling diet book originally published in 1995. The diet blames sugar for America's obesity problem. Americans do consume a high amount of sugar--an average of 22.2 teaspoons a day, according to Rachel K. Johnson, et al, in an issue of "Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association" from August 24, 2009, which provides no nutrition and excess calories. The Sugar Busters diet cuts out all foods with sugars, including some fruits and vegetables.

Features

The diet emphasizes lean, trimmed meats, reduced fat dairy, whole grains, watery fruits and vegetables and fats in moderation. It offers a daily macronutrient ratio of 30 percent protein, 40 percent fat and 30 percent carbohydrates, reports Every Diet. The diet asks that you eliminate all refined sugars, refined flour, white rice and many root vegetables and fruits. The authors, H. Leighton Stewart, Morrison C. Bethea, MD, Sam S. Andrews, MD, and Luis A. Belart, MD, claim that by removing "toxic" sugar you reduce insulin levels and decrease insulin resistance that causes obesity and type 2 diabetes. They claim calories are less important than the source of those calories. The diet advocates three portion-controlled meals per day and regular snacking.

Considerations

The Sugar Busters diet really works because it is a low-calorie plan. The typical daily meal plans suggested in the book contain just 1,200 calories, which represents the bare minimum needed for daily functioning according to Medline Plus. When you cut out refined sugars, you are cutting out many of the foods that contain the most calories in your diet--such as soda, sweets, snack crackers and cereal bars.

Allowed Foods

The Sugar Busters diet permits you to consume stone-ground grains, high fiber vegetables and some fruits. You may occasionally enjoy brown rice, oats and sweet potatoes. Foods such as white bread, potatoes, corn, carrots, beets and most other root vegetables are forbidden because of their "sugar" content. Beer is discouraged, but red wine in moderate amounts is permitted.

Concerns

Any diet that eliminates entire food groups should be approached with trepidation. Denying yourself certain foods may help you lose weight initially, only to cause you to binge on these foods in a moment of weakness. Cutting out nutritious foods such as beets, bananas and carrots also denies you important nutrients and antioxidants.

Expert Insight

Researchers from the University of Kentucky and the University of Toronto expressed concern about the high protein intake advocated by the Sugar Busters diet in a 2000 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." The study, led by James W. Anderson, notes that Sugar Busters recommends more than double the recommended daily allowances of .8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, which may cause health complications if pursued over a long period of time. They also point out that diets, like Sugar Busters, tend to work for people because they become more aware of what they are eating and avoid unplanned or mindless food intake. While motivated individuals may find success on the Sugar Busters, it works because it alters usual patterns of eating and the foods allowed are less tempting, so you may end up eating less.