The Zone silent inflammation and acidosis diet promotes the theory that there is a physiological state, or zone, in the body in which the hormones that control silent inflammation are at levels that are neither too high nor too low. "This requires treating food as if it were a drug, to be taken at the right dose and at the right time," according to the Web site of Dr. Barry Sears, who developed the diet. This low-carb diet aims to control blood-glucose levels, levels of blood lipids, aid in fat loss and suppress appetite in addition to controlling inflammation.
Developer
Diet developer Barry Sears is a former research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as the Boston University School of Medicine. He is the president of the Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead, Mass., a nonprofit organization.
Theory
The Zone diet promotes the theory that inflammation is the underlying cause of many chronic diseases. These include cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. Silent inflammation, according to Sears, can go undetected for years because it does not cause pain that leads people to seek help to stop it. Signs of chronic inflammation include being fatigued, being groggy when waking up, brittle fingernails, cravings for carbohydrates, being overweight, needing drugs for lowering cholesterol and needing hypertensive drugs like diuretics or beta-blockers.
Anti-inflammatory Diet
The keys to eating an anti-inflammatory diet according to the Zone theory are balancing a person's protein-to-carbohydrate intake, consuming omega-3 fatty acids and taking in polyphenols. Polyphenols are plant-based phytonutrients found in foods like apples, tea, onions and red grapes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Food Ratios
The plan calls for eating 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent proteins and 30 percent healthy fats. This ratio of carbs to protein and fats is meant to control insulin, which is the fat storage hormone. Too much insulin in the bloodstream can cause inflammation and lead to diabetes, heart disease and obesity, according to Sears. Sears aims to help the body burn its excess fat via blood sugar regulation.
Foods
The Zone promotes eating fruits and vegetables over grains and starches for carbohydrate intake. It also advocates monounsaturated fats like avocados and olive oil. Monounsaturated fats, also called MUFAs, are omega-9 fatty acids. They also are the cornerstone of other diet plans like the Flat Belly Diet. MUFAs also are favored by the American Heart Association, which recommends people choose MUFAs over trans and saturated fats. The AHA, however, does not endorse the Zone diet because the association says it is not proven effective for long-term weight loss.
Effects
Low-carb dieting plans such as the Zone have not been proven more effective than other plans as either short- or long-term diet strategies. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies that examined low-carb diets and low-fat diets found that people quit both types of diets at similar rates, suggesting that low-carb diets are no easier than any other to maintain in the long term. In the short term, "the conclusion from the latest head-to-head trial comparing different weight loss strategies ... is that what you eat takes a backseat to how much you eat. What really matters for weight loss is that you take in fewer calories than you burn," according to a summary of a Harvard School of Public Health study published in the Feb. 26, 2009, New England Journal of Medicine.
Endorsements
The Zone diet has not been rejected or endorsed by health organizations, in part because the long-term health effects of low-carb diets are unknown. Studies on low-carb diets have examined benefits and risks, but none have been conducted over a time period that demonstrates long-term effects on kidneys, bones and other aspects of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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