No-carb diets are also known as carnivorous diets, zero-carb diets or meat and egg diets. No-carbohydrate dieting is an extreme form of low-carb dieting. Anecdotally, low-carb dieters suggest that going on a zero-carb diet for a period of time can help break a plateau or increase their rate of weight loss, but few studies have been done on zero-carb diets and their efficacy in weight loss.
Identification
Zero-carb diets strictly prohibit any foods that contain carbs. Only fats and proteins are allowed on no-carb diets. Very few foods fall into these categories. Only meat, eggs, poultry, fish, seafood and pure fats are eaten on a zero-carb diet. No fruit, vegetables, grains or dairy products are allowed.
History
In 1935, Canadian Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Steffanson wrote an article in "Harpers Monthly Magazine" that described his experiences among the Inuit people. In the article, Steffanson advocated the health benefits of an all-meat diet, such as what he'd observed among the Inuit people. Steffanson was the earliest modern proponent of no-carb diets.
Research
In 1930, two researchers at the Russell Sage Institute of Pathology, Walter McClellan and Eugene DuBois, had the opportunity to study two men who volunteered to live solely on meat for a year. At the end of the year, neither man showed physical changes except for initial weight loss due to water weight. Blood pressure remained the same for one man and decreased for another, and no vitamin deficiencies or signs of kidney disease or damage appeared. A 2004 "Nutrition and Metabolism" study review conducted by Stephen Phinney concluded that physical endurance doesn't suffer on zero-carb diets.
Cautions
The USDA food pyramid recommends eating a variety of foods from all food groups every day, including 3 to 6 oz. of grains, three to four servings of fruit, five to seven servings of vegetables, two to three servings each of low-fat dairy and lean protein, and sparing use of fats and sugars. A protein- and fat-only diet limits the amount of food you can eat and may not supply all of the nutrients you can find in a well-balanced diet such as the one recommended by the USDA. No-carb diets are extreme diets, and you should check with your doctor before undertaking such a diet.
Considerations
MayoClinic.com cautions that high-protein diets may overtax your kidneys and lead to kidney disease. Low-carb diets may also be lacking in fiber while being high in saturated fat and cholesterol. This can lead to gastrointestinal problems, as well as increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers. The Russell Sage Institute study followed only two subjects, which is not a wide enough sampling to yield accurate data.
References
- "Harper's Monthly Magazine": Adventures in Diet Part 1; Vilhjalmur Stefansson; November 1935
- "Clinical Calorimetry"; Prolonged Meat Diets with a Study of Kidney Function and Ketosis; Walter S. McClellan and Eugene F. DuBois; February, 1930
- "Nutrition and Metabolism"; Ketogenic Diets and Physical Performance; Stephen D. Phinney; August, 2004
- MyPyramid.gov: Inside the Pyramid
- MayoClinic.com: High-Protein Diets: Are they Safe?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
- MayoClinic.com: Low-Carb Diets
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