No Carb Diet Facts

Many low-carbohydrate dieters turn to no-carb diets when they reach a weight loss plateau. No-carb diets are also called zero-carb diets. They are very restrictive diets that totally eliminate any carbohydrate-containing foods. There is little evidence, however, that such diets increase weight-loss rates or help dieters to break diet plateaus.

Identification

Carbohydrates are foods that contain sugars. Dairy products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, sugar, cereals, baked goods, candy and juice all contain carbohydrates. A zero-carbohydrate diet prohibits these foods. The only foods that don't contain some carbohydrates are animal proteins such as eggs, meat, fish, seafood and poultry, as well as fats such as butter and oil.

History

In 1935, "Harpers Monthly Magazine" published an article called "Adventures in Diet Part 1." Canadian arctic explorer Vilhialmur Stefansson wrote the article, which described his observations from spending time amongst the Inuit people. Stefansson noted that the Inuit people were quite healthy, with low levels of disease and obesity. He also observed that the frozen living conditions made it impossible for the Inuit people to eat anything but meat. Stefansson speculated that it was exactly this diet that accounted for the small incidence of disease, and he suggested that a zero-carbohydrate, all-meat diet may confer similar benefits to others.

Theories/Speculation

In the book "Protein Power Lifeplan," medical doctors Michael and Mary Dan Eades suggest that early humans probably ate predominantly meat with occasional plant foods when they were seasonally available. Early humans were hunter-gatherer societies, and frequently the only available food was meat that people were either able to hunt or forage. Humans probably existed for long periods of time eating solely animal protein and fat. These conditions existed for millions of years before the onset of agriculture, which is a relatively recent event in terms of human evolution. The Eades suggest that evolutionarily, the human body is still programmed from millions of years of evolution to exist solely on meat with occasional seasonally available plant foods. Because humans haven't evolved to eat grains and other carbohydrates, they may be responsible for many of the diseases of modern society such as type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders and obesity.

Research

In 1930, two researchers from the Russell Sage Institute of Pathology observed two male volunteers that ate only meat for an entire year. The observation was printed in "Clinical Calorimetry," and it concluded that neither man experienced ill health from their all-meat diet. Instead, both men emerged healthy and energetic without excessive weight loss or gain, and without damage to kidneys, heart or other systems.

Considerations

The sample of two men in the aforementioned study is too small to draw any statistically valid conclusions about all meat diets. No studies exist that show the diets to be either efficacious in weight loss or eliminating disease. MayoClinic.com cautions that high-protein diets may lead to kidney problems. It further suggests that such diets are high in saturated fat and cholesterol while being low in fiber, which can lead to increased risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer and gastrointestinal problems such as constipation.

The USDA has created the food pyramid that helps you to choose healthy foods that will meet all of your nutritional requirements. Zero-carbohydrate diets do not fall within food pyramid guidelines and may contain inadequate amounts of certain nutrients.