Low carb: Who's feeding us this diet?

Photo courtesy of
Sebastian Kaulitzki 

So sits a man with a lap but no top, two eyes with no pod, yet his apple would spark an epiphany that would forever change the world. As Sir Isaac Newton sat in his garden he observed an apple falling to the ground. This apple would serve as the catalyst to his formulation of the Law of Universal Gravitation.

Some centuries later another guy, who is rumored to be the first to give a "high five," came up with a theory that was much more than rumor. Einstein's theory of relativity looked at gravity in a revolutionary way and answered some questions that Newton's theory couldn't. After Einstein's theory was proven through countless experiments it was accepted by the scientific world and has served to expand our knowledge of the universe. When this theory came out it didn't mean that Newton's law didn't apply. In fact, many sciences still use the Law of Universal Gravitation today as it is amazingly accurate in most all but mysterious phenomena, such as black holes. Neither of these two theories were taken as truth when they were presented, only after extensive experimental verification were they accepted.
This example was not written to be an analogy concerning the research and theory of low carbohydrate diets but rather as an illustration of the scientific method and its vital role in our accumulation of knowledge. New ideas, counterpoints, questions and investigation drives our understanding of nutrition and the human body. When new results or information is obtained through research it can become generally accepted by the scientific community only after several studies by many different researchers replicate and confirm the new findings.

In an age where an apple can instantly connect you to the world, caution must be taken when gathering and spreading information about something as important as a diet. It is not by chance or blind conformism that the majority of the scientific community advocates against the Atkins style low-carb diet. One commenter stated this perfectly on my first post: "The National Academy of Sciences, the American Medical Association, the American Dietetic Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Kidney Fund, the American College of Sports Medicine, Johns Hopkins and the National Institutes of Health all advise against such diets. I believe your critics will be hard pressed to find a single major medical, nutrition, or science-based organization that fully endorses the low-carb diet for long-term health." I have never been one to embrace an idea simply because of its popularity or discredit a new hypothesis because it hasn’t been proven. However, I strongly believe that in regards to our understanding of health science “experiment is supreme.” Before embracing the latest sensationalistic nutritional headline i.e. “saturated fat lowers heart disease risk” (which will be discussed in the next article) make sure to read past the marketability of those claims to see what the study truly reveals.

I really appreciate the interest and comments that this series has generated so far, some of them have been pretty wild. Sadly many of the assertions point back to my first paragraph in the series and the reason I decided to start addressing low-carb issues. Some of the obstinate statements and unfounded assumptions appear to be derived from emotional convictions. Consequently, I’d like to clarify my stance on nutrition before I post my next article dealing with what studies have and have not proven.

I have never advocated a traditional "low fat" diet. As I stated in a previous article, I don't really like the term “diet.” That being said, the one that most closely reflects my daily food consumption and what I recommend to clients and friends is the "Paleo Diet for Athletes," created by one of my professors at CSU Loren Cordain. The focus is on lean meats, fruits, vegetables and lots of healthy fat sources such as olive oil, canola oil and some nuts with attention to carbohydrate intake from higher glycemic-index sources (honey, energy bars, sports drinks) before, during and following endurance exercise. The carbohydrate sources I consume and recommend outside of energy bars and gels during prolonged activity are from fruits and vegetables (except white potatoes). I also occasionally eat some whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread.

Once again thanks for the interest and keep an eye out as the information presented in the next article may surprise you.