Reasons to Avoid the Low-Carbohydrate Diet - Essay Example

Reasons to Avoid the Low-Carbohydrate Diet Introduction Background of the Study Low-carbohydrate diets or simply, low-carb diets are those dietary programs which are aimed towards the restriction of carbohydrate consumption in order to effectively control one’s weight or for the treatment of obesity. People adopting this kind of diet generally avoid foods that are high in digestible carbohydrates such as bread or pasta. These are then replaced with foods that contain a higher percentage of proteins and fats such as protein and fats as well as other foods that are low in carbohydrates (e.g. green leafy vegetables). Thus, it is in relation with the aforementioned that the American Academy of Family Physicians (in Last and Wilson, 2006) defines low-carbohydrate diets as those which restrict caloric intake by reducing the consumption of carbohydrates to 20 to 60 grams per day (usually less than twenty percent of the daily caloric intake). The consumption of protein and fat, on the other hand, is then increased in order to compensate for the part of the calories that formerly came from the carbohydrates (Last and Wilson, 2006). As previously mentioned, this kind of diet is of paramount importance for the treatment of obesity as well as other diseases such as diabetes and epilepsy (Last and Wilson, 2006; Taubes, 2007). Nevertheless, a number of issues have surrounded the said topic at hand. This study shall specifically focus on the different debates surrounding the topic on low-carbohydrate diets. In general, it would focus on the positive and negative effects of having this particular diet. More specifically, the researcher aims to present the different aspects of the debate to a company which supports the low carbohydrate diet in order to change their perception and thus encourage them to avoid the said diet. This particular study shall focus on Kraft Foods Inc and the manner by which they promote the low-carbohydrate diet by releasing food products that adhere to the said plan. Methods to Gather Information This research shall adopt the qualitative approach to research in order to gather information with regard to the topic at hand. More specifically, the researcher shall employ the documentary analysis method in order to effectively gather the required information so as to determine the negative effects of the low-carbohydrate diet in order to induce the sample company to believe that such practice must be abandoned. The documentary analysis method is often defined as the examination of documents in the form of printed or manuscript sources, whether qualitative, quantitative or statistical in nature in order to produce pertinent information, Denzin and Lincoln (2005) and Duffy (2005) define. In this study, such method is deemed to be of paramount importance for it would help the researcher analyze the different arguments that had been developed against the low carbohydrate diet. Aside from this, the use of such method would also be of utmost significance as it determines the practices of the company in question which this study aims to analyze due to their support of the low-carbohydrate diet. Research The second aspect of this research proposal tackles the different points obtained by the researcher with regard to the following matters: (1) a brief history of the said type of diet; (2) the benefits of the low-carbohydrate diet; and (3) the disadvantages of the low-carbohydrate diet. Brief History of the Low-Carbohydrate Diet Anthropologists believe that early humans were hunter-gatherers thereby consuming diets that are high in both protein and fat but were mostly low in nutritive carbohydrates. In fact, until now, there are certain isolated societies which continue to consume these types of diet. However, the advent of agriculture brought about the rise of civilization and the gradual increase in the inclusion of carbohydrate in all human diets. More specifically, the modern age has seen a particularly steep arise in refined carbohydrate levels amongst societies in the Western Hemisphere (Wexler, 2006; Zahensky, 2007). It was in 1863 when William Banting, an obese English undertaker and coffin maker published his Letter on Corpulence Addressed to the Public wherein he described a diet for weight control (Allen and Lutz, 2000). According to him, it is only through the giving up of bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer and potatoes that a person would be able to successfully control his or her weight. In 1967, the so-called Stillman Diet became popular which eventually highlighted the need to shift to a high-protein, low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet in order to guarantee one’s weight loss. According to several researchers, the Stillman Diet is often regarded as one of the first low-carbohydrate diets to become popular in the United States of America. Following this, however, were other kinds of diets which basically promoted the need to reduce the intake of carbohydrate and compensate such loss by consuming protein and fat (e.g. the Air Force Diet and the Drinking Man’s Diet (Freedman, King and Kennedy, 2001). It was, however, the publication of Dr. Atkins’ book “New Diet Revolution” that the low-carbohydrate diet became more popular (Freedman, King and Kennedy, 2001). Dr. Atkins was basically one of the most popular advocates of the low-carbohydrate diet because he believes that obesity was caused by the consumption of refined carbohydrates such as sugar, flour and high-fructose corn syrups. Hence, the diet that he has developed involved the restriction of carbohydrates to more frequently switch the body’s metabolism from burning glucose as fuel to stored body fat (Freedman, King and Kennedy, 2001). In addition to the abovementioned, the Dr. Atkins also pointed out the need for such diet in order to reduce one’s risk of acquiring certain diseases such as diabetes and epilepsy (Zahensky, 2007). Benefits of the Low-Carbohydrate Diet Having discussed the brief history of the low-carbohydrate diet, this research now looks into the benefits of consuming this kind of diet. The following are commonly listed as the benefits of consuming foods that are in lieu with this kind of diet: (1) weight loss (Yancy, et al., 2004; Stern, et al., 2004), (2) improved triglycerides (Dolson, 2009), (3) reduced blood glucose for diabetics and pre-diabetics, (4) increased HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol, (5) improved sensitivity to insulin, (6) decreased blood pressure, (7) lower blood insulin level (Bowden, 2004), (8) less muscle mass lost as compare to high carbohydrate weight loss diets, and lastly, (9) ability to treat seizure disorders. The abovementioned shall be discussed individually in the next succeeding paragraphs in order to properly understand the benefits of the low-carbohydrate diet. It is because of the abovementioned that a number of people have already been encouraged to consume this type of diet in order to take advantage of the different benefits it promises. On the other hand, however, debates have also surfaced with regard to the negative effects of the said type of diet and these shall be discussed in the succeeding sub-section. Disadvantages of the Low-Carbohydrate Diet As previously mentioned, a number of issues have surfaced with regard to the different negative effects that a person may encounter due to the consumption of a low-carbohydrate diet. This sub-section is then devoted to the discussion of the same in order to help in the attainment of the goals of this paper. Repeatedly mentioned in this paper was the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets due to their promise of weight reduction. Furthermore, they also guarantee lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and decreased triglycerides. Nevertheless, several researchers such as Murray (2008) note of the major disadvantages that one may encounter from restricting all carbohydrates. According to Murray (2008), the following are usually the health risks that are often associated with diets that are low in carbohydrates: (1) regain of weight, (2) decreased brain functioning, (3) muscle burning, (4) and deprivation. Each of the said health risks shall be discussed by the researcher individually in order to gain a better understanding of such. Regain of Weight According to Murray (2008), two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared adults who followed either a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet or a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet for one year. At the six month mark, the low carb dieters did lose more weight than the low-fat dieters. However, at the end of the year, there was really no difference as to the two groups since the low carb dieters were able to gain the weight that they have lost (Murray, 2008). Consequently, their cholesterol levels, blood pressure and triglycerides went up as well (Murray, 2008; The Pros and Cons of Low Carb Diet Regimens, 2009). Decreased Brain Functioning Decreased Brain Functioning is another health risk posed by the consumption of a low-carbohydrate diet. According to Murray (2008), the Institute of Medicine found out that the brain alone needs the equivalent of 130 grams of carbohydrates per day at a minimum in order to function optimally. Most low-carb diets require far less than 130 grams of carbohydrates per day, thus negatively affecting the function of the brain (Murray, 2008). Muscle Burning Muscle burning was another health risk associated with the low carbohydrate diet. For Murray (2008), when fewer than 100 grams of carbohydrates are consumed during a day, the body looks to muscle tissue for glycogen or stored glucose. This thus generally means that the muscles are broken down in order to be used for energy. When these glucose stores start to run out, the body will star burning fat. In this process, ketones are then produced, which in turn, result to bad breath, fatigue, lightheadedness, headache and nausea (Murray, 2008). Deprivation A reduced consumption of carbohydrates may result to a reduction in the nutritional value consumed by a person. For Murray (2008), this may mean that people may get inadequate amounts of vitamin C and other disease-fighting antioxidants. Thus, the said author believes in the necessity of consuming a diet that contains enough carbohydrates in order to guarantee the proper intake of nutrition needed by the body. In general, the abovementioned facts show that having a low-carbohydrate diet has a number of benefits and disadvantages. It is for this reason that the researcher deems it necessary to reconcile the two in order to suggest to the company chosen for this research (Kraft Foods, Inc) to abandon their practices of producing more products that are low in carbohydrate due to the number of health risks associated with it. Apparently, as discussion in the foregoing paragraphs of this section, the disadvantages of a low-carbohydrate diet tend to be more evident than its positive effects as there is a tendency to regain the high levels of blood pressure, glucose level and the like as well as the weight lost which Murray (2008) pointed out. The next section of this paper has then been devoted to the discussion of the solutions that the researcher believes to be necessary to avoid the abovementioned problem. Solution The researcher believes that an alternative to the low-carbohydrate diet must be discovered. This alternative must be able to somehow reach a compromise amongst the abovementioned benefits and disadvantages in order to ensure that people will reduce their risks of becoming obese yet at the same time, do not suffer from health risks brought about by the lack of nutritional value being received by the body. Conclusion and Recommendations The low-carbohydrate diet is of paramount importance to people due to its ability to cure them of certain diseases and at the same time, lessen their chances of becoming obese. However, the consumption of such diet tends to result to the acquisition of a number of health risks due to the reduction in the nutritional value intake. It is for this reason that the researcher believes in the need to encourage Kraft Foods, Inc to abandon their marketing strategy of promoting food products that are low in carbohydrates but instead, shift to those that provide people with the nutritional value needed yet do not contain too much fat that would eventually cause obesity. The researcher thereby recommends the said company to take the points mentioned previously into consideration and at the same time, develop a diet by which they could compromise both the positive and negative aspects of the low-carbohydrate diet. References Allen, C. and Lutz, W. (2000). Life without bread: how a low-carbohydrate diet can save your life. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Bowden, J. (2004). Living the low-carb life: from atkins to the zone choosing the diet that’s right for you. California: Barnes and Noble Publishing. Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S.(2005). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. CA: Sage Publications. Dolson, L. (2009). 20 benefits of low carb diets. Retrieved November 24, 2009 from http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/lcbenefits.htm Duffy, B. (2005). The analysis of documentary evidence. In Bell, J. Doing Your Research Project. New York: McGraw-Hill International. Freedman, J.M, King, J. and Kennedy, E. (2001). Popular Diets: A Scientific Review. Obesity Research: 9 (1), pp. 5s-17s. Last, A.R. and Wilson, S.A. (2006). Low-carbohydrate diets. Am Fam Physician 73 (11): 1942-48. Murray, J. (2008). Disadvantages of a low-carb diet. Retrieved November 24, 2009 from http://proteins-carb-fats.suite101.com/article.cfm/disadvantages_of_a_lowcarb_diet. Pros and Cons of Low Carb Diet Regimens. (2009). Retrieved November 24, 2009 from http://www.about-weight-loss-programs.com/pro-and-cons-of-low-carb-diet.html Stern, L., et al. (2004). The effects of low-carbohydrate versus conventional weight loss diets in severely obese adults: one-year follow-up of a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med, 140: 778-785. Wexler, B. (2006). Weight in America: Obesity, eating disorders and other health risks. New York: Thomson Gale. Yancy, W.S., et al. (2004). A low-carbohydrate diet, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia. Annals of Internal Medicine: 140 (10), pp. 769-777. Zahensky, B.A. (2007). Diet fads. California: The Rosen Publishing Group. Read More