Nutritional Deficiencies Of The Zone Diet

The Zone diet uses the glycemic index to control blood sugar with the belief that it will help you lose weight. It suggests consuming 40 percent carbs and 30 percent each of fat and protein to make up your daily energy needs. The diet advocates complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. To avoid nutritional deficiencies on this diet, the key is to understand the fat content, calories and overall health of a food instead of only knowing its glycemic index number.

Calories

Any diet with a lack of calories could lead to nutritional deficiencies since you are not taking in enough food to provide the nutrients you need. The Zone diet does not provide much energy for your body with only 1,025 calories a day being allowed. This is much lower than the general calorie recommendations for an adult. For a female age 19 to 30, the suggestions are 2,000 for a sedentary lifestyle and 2,400 for an active lifestyle. For a male of the same age, it is 2,400 for sedentary and 3,000 for active.

Carbohydrates

The Zone diet might also lead to a lack of carbohydrates. According to the McKinley Health Center, our bodies need more carbohydrates than the other macronutrients for energy. Your body finds carbs easy to turn into energy, and carbs are needed by specific organs and body systems, including the heart, brain and central nervous system, to work correctly. The fiber in many carbs also helps your body eliminate waste and lowers your risk of developing heart disease and other conditions. However, the Zone diet does not go too far from the recommendations of 45 to 65 percent carbs, 10 to 35 percent protein and 20 to 35 percent fat to make up your energy needs.

Considerations

Some nutritionists argue that the Zone diet could lead to unhealthy calories instead of healthy ones. Since some foods with a low glycemic index are less healthy than ones with a high glycemic index, this weight loss method can be tricky. For instance, potato chips are lower on the glycemic scale than a baked potato, yet baked potatoes are healthier than potato chips. Consider factors other than only the glycemic index, including the calories, fat content and micronutrients in foods, when planning your menus.

Micronutrients

Although some nutritionists are concerned that the Zone diet might contribute to micronutrient deficiencies, a 2010 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" shows that it does not. While other fad diets in the study caused notable deficiencies in participants, the Zone diet did not create any significant micronutrient deficiencies and actually improved the levels of certain nutrients after eight weeks on the diet. However, since you can choose the foods you eat on this diet, the results of this study might not be consistent across the board.