Low Carbohydrate Diet

Background:

Approximately 365,000 U.S. deaths in 2000 were attributed to poor diet and physical inactivity (15.2 percent of total deaths), the second leading cause of death for that year. [1] Thus, many people have turned to diets to stay healthy including low carbohydrate diets, also known as low carb diets (the Atkins diet, the Zone Diet, the Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet and the later stages of the South Beach Diet).

Definition:

There are many different definitions of what a low carb diet is. A popular definition is provided by The American Academy of Family Physicians:

Low-carbohydrate diets restrict caloric intake by reducing the consumption of carbohydrates to 20 to 60 g per day (typically less than 20 percent of the daily caloric intake). The consumption of protein and fat is increased to compensate for part of the calories that formerly came from carbohydrates. [2]

Use:

Low carb diets are a widely popular form of combating obesity [3], which effects over 65% of adults in America [4]. However, they are also commonly used to treat diabetes[5] and epilepsy[6].

How low carbohydrate diets work:

Most low carb diets are split into phases. Normally, carbohydrates are initially limited to less than 20 g da. During this initiation, ketosis is established, demonstrating that the body's glycogen supplies have been consumed and that protein and fat are being used as fuel. Carbohydrates are then slowly added back into the diet until weight loss stops and weight is maintained. The amount of carbohydrates needed for weight maintenance is individualized. The final stages focus on development of lifelong eating habits that allow a moderate amount of calories.[7]

As not all carbohydrates were created equal, something to be aware of is the importance of the glycemic index. The higher the glycemic index of a food is the higher the glucose response in the blood.[8] There for some carbohydrates can and should be eaten; low starch vegetables, such as cauliflower and courgettes, and low-carbohydrate fruit, such as berries and oranges for example. As foods with a low GI index help control the glucose level such foods are also recommended for diabetics.[9]

Popularity:

Low carb diets have been popular for many years and there support is growing among official institutions. These include The American Academy of Family Physicians [10], who acknowledge it as a “legitimate weight loss approach”, Dr Robert Eckel, the past president of the American Heart Association, stated that “a low-carb approach is consistent with heart association guidelines so long as there are limitations on the kinds of saturated fats often consumed by people on the Atkins diet” [11] among others. The main concern that health professionals have regarding low carb diets is the increase in the intake of saturated fats and the risks that this can pose. DELICARDO also advises against too great of an increase in saturated fat consumption.

DELICARDO Foodcards:

An uncomplicated way to inform service personal about your low carb diet when eating out, for example in restaurants or catered events, is through the use of DELICARDO Foodcards, also known as dietary cards, restaurant allergy cards, chef cards or food allergy and intolerance cards. DELICARDO Foodcards make sticking to a low carb diet easier and have been recognized by the European Center for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) as a product that can help give back quality of life despite allergies. They are available in a range of languages to help make sticking to your dietary requirements easier while travelling abroad.

Standard low carbohydrate diet DELICARDO Foodcards can be found here (coming soon)

To create a personalised low carbohydrate diet DELICARDO Foodcard click here

Useful Links:

The National Health Service (NHS)
http://www.nhs.uk

The American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
http://www.ajcn.org/

Low Carb Diets at About.com
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/

Wikipedia Article on Low Carb Diets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-carbohydrate_diet

[1] Mokdad  AH, Marks  JS, Stroup  DF, Gerberding  JL.  Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000 [published corrections appear in JAMA 2005; 293:293–4 and JAMA 2005;293:298].  JAMA.  2004;291:1238–45
[2] http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0601/p1942.html
[3] http://www.nhs.uk/news/2008/07July/Pages/Whichdiet.aspx
[4] Flegal  KM, Carroll  MD, Ogden  CL, Johnson  CL.  Prevalence and trends in obesity among U.S. adults, 1999–2000.  JAMA.  2002;288:1723–7
[5] http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20060616/do-low-carb-diets-help-diabetes
[6] http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2008/01_28_08.html
[7] http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0601/p1942.html
[8] http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0601/p1942.html
[9] http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/1/167
[10] http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/clinical/publichealth/nutrition/atkinsdiet.html
[11] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25708495/