The following is a comparison of the benefits and detriments of two popular diets, written on the 3rd of November 2019.
There are many diets that recommend immediate changes to eating habits, and two of the most prominent diets are low carbs and low fats. The Atkins diet, a popular version of the low carb diet, is often recommended for weight loss. The diet uses a four-step plan to cut down excess fat on an individual in a short amount of time. This begins with Induction, a process of gradually switching from using carbohydrates for energy to using fat stores, in a system called net carbs. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the fiber content of an item's total carbohydrate amount. During this process, the subject is limited to eating around 20 g of carbohydrates daily, usually ingested via leafy green vegetables. For the rest of their meals, they get to eat a mixture of protein and fat. After about two weeks on average, the subject will slowly add carbohydrates back into their diet to determine how much carbohydrates their body can tolerate while still losing weight. You must stay in this phase until you are 10 pounds from your target weight. Next, the subject begins fine-tuning, slowly adding foods back into their diet, “including fruits, starchy vegetables, and whole grains.” You continue through this phase until your target weight is reached, commencing the final phase. In this maintenance phase, you continue to eat this way for the remainder of your life. The desired effect is a burning of the body’s fat stores, “while regulating your blood sugar and helping you achieve optimal health” (mayoclinic). The effect is also stated to leave the body satiated, but any diet plan that restricts calories will likely produce similar results. While this may help you lose weight for a short time, it also comes with a variety of issues.
The restriction of carbohydrates can sometimes be too severe, resulting in “nutritional deficiencies or insufficient fiber, which can cause such health problems as constipation, diarrhea, and nausea.'' The Atkins diet does not guarantee continual weight loss. Some patients begin to see weight gain after maintaining the final phase for a period of time. It is also possible in the first stage for patients to develop ketosis. When the patient is breaking down fat stores, ketones can build up in their body. This can cause nausea, headaches, mental fatigue, and bad breath. If the patient doesn’t maintain a healthy cholesterol level during the diet, plaque can start accumulating in the arteries. If the plaque clogs the arteries, the patient has developed Atherosclerosis. This can further lead to such inflictions as coronary heart disease, angina, carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and chronic kidney disease.
In a low-fat diet, cholesterol is more closely monitored. Unlike the Atkins diet, the low-fat diet limits cholesterol intake to 200 mg per day. Additionally, it cuts the intake of saturated fats down to 7% of your daily calories and eliminates the intake of trans fat. In place of these unhealthy fats, the low-fat diet promotes the intake of such healthy fats as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are derived from nuts, avocados, and vegetables, and can help lower LDL. Polyunsaturated fats are derived from nuts, avocados, vegetables, and salmon. Polyunsaturated fats can also help lower LDL, and contain Omega-3 and Omega-6, two essential fatty acids needed for brain function, cell growth, and reducing blood pressure. Omega-3 helps regulate heart function and slows the buildup of plaque in arteries. Omega-6 controls blood sugar and decreases the risk of diabetes. While this low-fat diet may seem far superior to the Atkins, studies have shown similar results for both diets.
When the Journal of the American Medical Association observed 600 patients over 12 months, they found that the average participant dropped around 13 pounds overall, no matter what diet they were assigned. This particular test also promoted exercise and light activity in the patient’s daily routine, which may benefit the patient more in the long run than either of the diets could. Neither of the diets have been studied for long enough to report any common, debilitating side effects, but in terms of overall health concerns, the low-fat diet stands out as a far more reasonable option then Atkins, with a greater disease prevention rating.
Bibliography
Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Atkins Diet: What's behind the Claims?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Aug. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/atkins-diet/art-20048485.
Harvard Health Publishing. “Low-Carb, High-Protein Diets.” Harvard Health, July 2015, www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/low-carb-high-protein-diets.
Stanton, Michael V, et al. “DIETFITS Study (Diet Intervention Examining the Factors Interacting with Treatment Success) - Study Design and Methods.” Contemporary Clinical Trials, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28027950.
“Low Fat Diet - What You Need to Know.” Drugs.com, 24 Sept. 2019, www.drugs.com/cg/low-fat-diet.html.
Holland, Kimberly. “Here's the Skinny: No Difference Between Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets.” Healthline.com, 28 Feb. 2018, www.healthline.com/health-news/no-difference-between-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets#1.
“Atherosclerosis.” Www.heart.org, 30 Apr. 2017, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/about-cholesterol/atherosclerosis.