The South Beach Diet is a specialized diet that is focused on helping you lose weight. Created by Dr. Arthur Agatson, a cardiologist, the South Beach Diet is considered a modified low-carbohydrate diet, MayoClinic.com explains. The diet recommends lower proportions of fat and carbohydrates than a regular meal plan, however; the fat and carbohydrate levels are not low enough to make the South Beach diet a low-carb or low-fat diet.
Weight Loss
The most marketed effect of the South Beach Diet is its ability to help you lose weight. According to the American Dietetic Association, the diet is supposed to help you lose eight to 13 pounds during the first two weeks and one to two pounds per week afterwards. This weight loss is due to a shift from high carbohydrate, high fat meals to high protein, low carbohydrate meals. Furthermore, the diet recommends avoiding unhealthy fats, such as fats from fast food or fried food. This allows you to limit your caloric intake, which is responsible for the weight loss seen with this diet.
Improved Cholesterol Levels
The creators of the South Beach Diet claim that it can drastically reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol. In the short-term, low to moderate carbohydrate intake coupled with healthy fats can improve your cholesterol levels, MayoClinic.com reports. However, no long-term studies have been done that prove the continued benefits of the South Beach Diet with regards to cholesterol. In theory, by limiting the amount of cholesterol in your blood stream, the South Beach Diet can reduce your chances of developing blood vessel damage and heart disease.
Ketoacidosis
Ketone bodies are products of fat metabolism in your body. Overproduction of ketones is often found in patients who are converting large amounts of fat into energy due to a lack of useable carbohydrates or glucose. An increase in ketone bodies can cause your body to become too acidic. This condition is called ketoacidosis and can lead to a variety of complications such as coma and death.
A case report in the February 2008 edition of the "Journal of Medicine" explains that a low carbohydrate diet, such as the South Beach Diet, can cause ketoacidosis. If you are following the South Beach Diet you may not be giving your body enough carbohydrates for energy and your body might begin to use its fat stores. In small quantities this is a good thing because it helps you lose weight, but if large amounts of fat are lost in a short interval you may develop ketoacidosis.
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