I've read so many times in various threads about people eating super low calories, and it always worries me. And also high fat, high Protein, low carb diets... I wanted to post about the dangers of very low calorie diets and of high fat/protein low carb diets, so here is some info and the sources it comes from:

"When you want to lose weight, a very low-calorie diet can seem attractive. After all, the sooner you lose weight the better, right?

Well...no, that's not right. Eating fewer than 1000 calories a day can, at best be a short-lived attempt at dieting, at worst it could be a recipe for long term health problems.

Your body is not designed to function well on a very low calorie diet. In fact, it goes into starvation or famine mode and tries to preserve essential functions at the expense of the less essential ones.

So what happens to your body on fewer than 1000 calories a day?

• Your metabolism slows down to conserve energy.
  
• Your body uses blood sugar, made from carbohydrates, for fuel just as a car uses gas (petrol). Without blood sugar, the brain and central nervous system, as well as other bodily systems, will cease to work efficiently.
  
• To try to counteract the lack of blood sugar from carbohydrates in the diet, your body will break down fat, which is what you want, but it will also breakdown muscle and other lean body tissue.
  
• Losing lean body tissue can be very dangerous. Even organs can be broken down to use as fuel.
  
• Losing lean body tissue can also be counter-productive. Muscle tissue increases the resting metabolic rate. With reduced amounts of muscle, your metabolism will slow. When you come off the diet, increased fat cells will form because your metabolism is slow and so your body needs less blood sugar for fuel. It is also a survival mechanism in case of another 'famine'.
  
• With very low calorie diets, an imbalance in minerals and electrolytes can occur, which can be dangerous. These govern the balance of fluids in the body allowing nerves and muscles to function.
  
• Osteoporosis can be another danger, especially for women. Often dairy products like eggs, milk and cheese are cut out of a very low calorie diet so cutting out a major source of Calcium leading to loss of bone mass.
  
• Anaemia (a lack of Iron in the blood) can also be another risk. If taken to extremes, women can find that menstruation (periods) becomes irregular or stops altogether.
  
• A lack of serotonin in the brain can be another problem which leads to clinical depression.
  
• You might find that the lack of essential nutrients on a very low calorie diet leads to a deterioration in the condition of your hair and nails.
  
• One of the great dangers of this kind of dieting is that you can become acclimatised to it. As your body reduces some of its functions, including those of the brain and nerves, and as depression takes hold due to a lack of serotonin, you can slip into anorexia nervosa - a truly life threatening condition.
  
• As mentioned above, when you finally come off this diet, you will almost certainly regain all the weight you have lost plus more leading to yoyo dieting, now believed to be dangerous.

Altogether, very low calorie diets are a danger to physical and mental health. They are counter-productive and can lead to long term problems as well as a lifetime of yoyo dieting. It is far better to lose weight safely and slowly on a sensible diet." (source reference: http://www.allinfoaboutdietsnutrition.com/index.php?page=21 )

"Low-carb/high-fat diets pose dangerous health risks and may increase the risk of contracting serious chronic diseases.

Studies have linked extreme low-carb/high-fat diets to an increased risk of developing certain disease states, including:

• Alzheimer disease

• blindness and macular degeneration

• some forms of cancer

• cardiovascular and heart disease

• c-reactive protein/inflammation

• metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance

• osteoporosis

• kidney stones

This is due to increased levels of saturated fat and dietary protein in the diet, with inadequate nutrition coming from plant-based phyto-chemicals. [/url]Low-carb diets may increase the risk of birth defects and childhood cancers.

Bread, Pasta, Breakfast cereals and orange juice — foods that are “off-limits” in a low-carb diet — are fortified with folic acid, a micronutrient essential to the neurological development of fetuses. The U.S. food and Drug Administration currently requires that enriched grain products be fortified with the essential Vitamin folic acid (the synthetic form of naturally occurring folate, or vitamin B-9, found in many leafy green vegetables, fruits and legumes). Since the fortification of grain-based foods with higher levels of folic acid, beginning in 1999, there has been a remarkable 19 percent drop in neural tube birth defects in the United States. Followers of a low-carb diet do not receive the benefits of folic acid fortification.

Low-carb/high-fat diets are not more effective for weight loss.

According to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are no significant differences in weight loss between low-carbohydrate diets and conventional weight-loss plans. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 9, 2003) reviewed studies of low-fat diets conducted between 1966 and 2003, and found that weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets was associated with length of diet, pre-diet weight, and the number of calories consumed, but not reduced carbohydrate content. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 22, 2003) found greater weight loss with a low-carbohydrate diet than a conventional diet during the first six months, but no significant differences in weight were observed after one year.1

Low-carb diets are perceived to be effective because of the rapid, initial weight loss. However, the weight loss is primarily due to the loss of muscle glycogen and Water — not body fat. Loss of muscle glycogen can result in lethargy and fatigue.1

Foods high in carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, are generally more filling — more “bulky” — than foods high in fat, and less prone to overeating. Foods high in fat can increase energy intake (calories) because they are more energy dense, not as “bulky,” and taste good, leaving eaters desiring more and making it easy to over-consume them. A lifestyle that is high in high-fat foods and low in exercise can lead to weight gain.

Carbohydrates, such as pasta, do not make you fat. Consistently overeating calories— whether they’re from carbohydrates, fat, or protein — will make you fat. The only genuine, time-tested principle of healthy, long-term weight loss is to take in fewer calories than your body burns.

Low-carb diets may cause cognitive difficulties.

Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel that the human brain — the most energy-demanding organ in the body — can use. Muscle cells can burn both fat and carbohydrates, but the brain does not have the “machinery” to burn fat. Depriving the brain of carbs means depriving it of energy — and the shortfall can affect intellectual performance, such as memory and cognitive processing.1

Once the body’s glycogen reserve is exhausted, the brain ends up using ketones, a by-product of the breakdown of fat. Ketones are not the optimal energy source for the brain, and their increase in the body has been shown to impair mental judgment.2

Low-carb diets can make people — especially women — short-tempered.

A new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the brain produces serotonin — which regulates moods and emotions — only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates, in combination with very little or no protein. A shortage of serotonin can lead to mood swings and depression. Eating a healthy pasta meal encourages the brain to make serotonin; eating a steak actually stops it from being produced.3

A Healthier Choice

According to the American Dietetic Association, the voice of nutrition in America, there are no good or bad foods — only good or bad diets. At “Healthy Pasta Meals,” a recent Barilla-sponsored conference in Rome, Italy, a team of 38 nutrition scientists from around the world concluded that the “Mediterranean diet” is an excellent choice for maintaining overall health.

The Mediterranean diet includes abundant plant foods (such as vegetables and pasta); olive oil; dairy products; fewer than four eggs weekly; fish and poultry in low-to-moderate amounts; red meat in low amounts; and wine with meals, in low-to-moderate amounts. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer.4"

Low-carb/high-fat diets pose dangerous health risks and may increase the risk of contracting serious chronic diseases.

Studies have linked extreme low-carb/high-fat diets to an increased risk of developing certain disease states, including:

• Alzheimer disease

• blindness and macular degeneration

• some forms of cancer

• cardiovascular and heart disease

• c-reactive protein/inflammation

• metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance

• osteoporosis

• kidney stones

This is due to increased levels of saturated fat and dietary protein in the diet, with inadequate nutrition coming from plant-based phyto-chemicals. Low-carb diets may increase the risk of birth defects and childhood cancers.

Bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and orange juice — foods that are “off-limits” in a low-carb diet — are fortified with folic acid, a micronutrient essential to the neurological development of fetuses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently requires that enriched grain products be fortified with the essential vitamin folic acid (the synthetic form of naturally occurring folate, or vitamin B-9, found in many leafy green vegetables, fruits and legumes). Since the fortification of grain-based foods with higher levels of folic acid, beginning in 1999, there has been a remarkable 19 percent drop in neural tube birth defects in the United States. Followers of a low-carb diet do not receive the benefits of folic acid fortification.

Low-carb/high-fat diets are not more effective for weight loss.

According to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are no significant differences in weight loss between low-carbohydrate diets and conventional weight-loss plans. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 9, 2003) reviewed studies of low-fat diets conducted between 1966 and 2003, and found that weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets was associated with length of diet, pre-diet weight, and the number of calories consumed, but not reduced carbohydrate content. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 22, 2003) found greater weight loss with a low-carbohydrate diet than a conventional diet during the first six months, but no significant differences in weight were observed after one year.1

Low-carb diets are perceived to be effective because of the rapid, initial weight loss. However, the weight loss is primarily due to the loss of muscle glycogen and water — not body fat. Loss of muscle glycogen can result in lethargy and fatigue.1

Foods high in carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, are generally more filling — more “bulky” — than foods high in fat, and less prone to overeating. Foods high in fat can increase energy intake (calories) because they are more energy dense, not as “bulky,” and taste good, leaving eaters desiring more and making it easy to over-consume them. A lifestyle that is high in high-fat foods and low in exercise can lead to weight gain.

Carbohydrates, such as pasta, do not make you fat. Consistently overeating calories— whether they’re from carbohydrates, fat, or protein — will make you fat. The only genuine, time-tested principle of healthy, long-term weight loss is to take in fewer calories than your body burns.

Low-carb diets may cause cognitive difficulties.

Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel that the human brain — the most energy-demanding organ in the body — can use. Muscle cells can burn both fat and carbohydrates, but the brain does not have the “machinery” to burn fat. Depriving the brain of carbs means depriving it of energy — and the shortfall can affect intellectual performance, such as memory and cognitive processing.1

Once the body’s glycogen reserve is exhausted, the brain ends up using ketones, a by-product of the breakdown of fat. Ketones are not the optimal energy source for the brain, and their increase in the body has been shown to impair mental judgment.2

Low-carb diets can make people — especially women — short-tempered.

A new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the brain produces serotonin — which regulates moods and emotions — only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates, in combination with very little or no protein. A shortage of serotonin can lead to mood swings and depression. Eating a healthy pasta meal encourages the brain to make serotonin; eating a steak actually stops it from being produced.3

A Healthier Choice

According to the American Dietetic Association, the voice of nutrition in America, there are no good or bad foods — only good or bad diets. At “Healthy Pasta Meals,” a recent Barilla-sponsored conference in Rome, Italy, a team of 38 nutrition scientists from around the world concluded that the “Mediterranean diet” is an excellent choice for maintaining overall health.

The Mediterranean diet includes abundant plant foods (such as vegetables and pasta); olive oil; dairy products; fewer than four eggs weekly; fish and poultry in low-to-moderate amounts; red meat in low amounts; and wine with meals, in low-to-moderate amounts. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer.4"

(source: http://www.barillaus.com/Dangers_of_LowCarb_Diets.aspx )

Take care of yourselves! and research the effects of your choices!!!

XO

Leila

Yes! Nice post Leila. I agree! Now, post-op, there's not alot you can do about getting in more than 1000 calories. Sometimes, it's a struggle to get in 600. But that's short-term. It's important to know the minimum and maximum calories you need to lose weight. sparkpeople.com told me my range for losing my weight by the end of the year, and it was 1200-1550 calories a day, plus they gave the ranges for fats, carbs, protien, fiber, and something else? Anyhow, starving to death is NOT healthy weight loss! And it's not a good banded life either. I see folks getting their bands filled so tight they can't eat a healthy variety of real foods and it's not healthy! You can't live on protien shakes forever! I'd rather lose slowly, personally. Great info!!! Thanks!

Uhmm, I think every body is different. Before I went low carb I never had a cycle, and my cholesterol was 298. After Low carb my cycles returned to normal, and my cholesterol went down to 201. I added Milkthistle to my Vitamins and my cholesterol went down to 188. As for anorexia... I wish...

If I don't stay low carb my PCOS attacks. I must take my Multivitamins or I crave sweets. But as for having a bad attitude... get bent....just kidding! :love:

I follow the Swartzbein Principal diet more than Atkins. It is more tailored for women, and has specific vitamins to help with sugar cravings and mood swings. Post band I have been taking a chewable multi, and the Vitamin shoppe liquid multi for the b vitamins.

I think we all need a good vitamin no matter what we eat.

Interesting post, but there are a few quick facts to state on thie issue.

I agree with Poodles, it is a YMMV situation. My body actually does very well on lower carb diets.

A couple points...

1. Many people mistake low carb dieting for NO carb dieting. No carb is bad. You cannot survive on ONLY meat. Diets like Atkins NEVER suggest that, that is a myth. They actually suggest that you avoid processed and refined foods alltogether, flour and sugar mainly. Since both of those items are truly devoid of nutrition, you will be hard pressed to find a doctor that suggests you eat them.

2. This is the big one... I looked at your "facts". They were provided by the American Dietetic Association. You might want to note who these folks are... they are a VEGAN group (gee, vegans don't eat meat, and most lower carb diets allow you to eat meat) and are associated with PETA. Obviously, they are biased against ANY diet that allows for eating animal products. Not an unbiased opinion here folks. Take their "wisdom" with a grain of salt.

3. There is just as much good data on the benefits of lower carb eating. For example from Web MD:

June 23, 2006 -- In motivated, obese type 2 diabetic patients, a low-carbohydrate diet with some caloric restriction has lasting benefits on body weight and glycemic control, often reducing the need for medication, Swedish researchers report in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism.

Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen and Dr. Eva A. Joensson from Blekingesjukhuset, Karlshamn, previously reported that 16 obese patients with type 2 diabetes who followed a 20% carbohydrate diet achieved significantly better glycemic control and body weight over 6 months than did 15 patients who followed a 55% to 60% carbohydrate diet.

Follow-up data at 22 months for the low-carbohydrate group now shows "stable improvement" of body weight and glycemic control, the investigators report.

At the start of the study, mean body weight was 100.6 kg in the low-carbohydrate group. At 6 months, mean body weight was 89.2 kg and at 22 months it was 92.0 kg (p < 0.001).

"It is significant," the authors note, "that 44% of the patients have had a stable weight or have reduced it further and all but one had a lower weight at 22 months than at the beginning of the study."

Initial HbA1c was 8.0% in the low-carbohydrate group. After 6 and 12 months, HbA1c had improved to 6.6% and 7.0%, respectively, and at 22 months it was still reduced, at 6.9%.

After 6 months on the low-carb diet, 2 of 5 patients using sulfonylurea had discontinued this medication and three were able to lower the dosage. Similarly, 3 of 11 insulin-treated patients discontinued insulin and the mean insulin requirement among 8 had fallen from 60 IU/day to 18 IU/day.

Dr. Nielsen and colleagues also report that seven subjects who switched from the higher-carbohydrate to the low-carbohydrate diet after the initial 6-month observation period also saw improvement in their blood sugar and body weight.

The low-carbohydrate and high-carbohydrate diet contained about the same caloric content (1800 kcal for men and 1600 kcal for women), but the proportions of carbohydrates, Protein, and fat were 20%, 30%, and 50%, respectively, for the low-carb diet versus 55-60%, 15%, and 25-30%, respectively, for the higher-carb control diet.

In the low-carb group, the daily quantity of carbohydrates was 80-90 grams and carbohydrates were limited to vegetables and salad. Pasta, potatoes, rice and breakfast cereals were excluded and, instead of ordinary bread, crisp/hard bread was recommended, with each piece containing 3.5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates. The low-carb group was also counseled not to eat between meals.

In contrast, in the higher-carbohydrate diet, whole-grain products were recommended, as were generous helpings of vegetables and several servings of fruit as Snacks between meals.

"Several recent reviews have made the case for reducing the carbohydrate load in type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome and the low-carbohydrate diet presented here is clearly effective in many obese people with type 2 diabetes," the authors write. "Because of its effectiveness it should be used with close clinical supervision in patients on insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents."

In comments to Reuters Health, Dr. Nielsen said: "There is no such thing as one diet that all patients should adapt to. Some prefer to eat as they are used to and treat the blood glucose with medications. Others are willing to make quite substantial changes in their lives in order to get healthier (and in some cases to get cured of their diabetes). These (patients) should also have help from professionals."

Dr. Nielsen also noted that existing diabetes dietary guidelines are "paradoxical in that they...actually increase blood glucose, cause deterioration of the blood lipids and prevent the wanted weight reduction -- just the opposite of what the physician wants to see in the patients."

When it comes to diet and diabetes, Dr. Nielsen acknowledges that "we know very little and patients should be informed about our lack of knowledge so they can make their own choices. And then they should get our full support in whatever they chose."

From Rx List:

A review of the research currently available on the safety and effectiveness of low-carb diets published last year in The Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that there was "insufficient evidence for or against the use of these diets."

From Newswise:

Newswise — With a continuing epidemic of type 2 diabetes and dwindling resources to combat it, new approaches are clearly needed. Because it is disease of insulin and blood sugar regulation, low-carbohydrate diets have been an obvious choice for diabetic patients but have been resisted by some professionals and agencies in favor of pharmacologic approaches.

Now, medical researchers in Sweden have reported a follow-up study of patients on a low-carbohydrate diet up to 22 months and report stable improvement and reduced need for medication.

The Swedish group, led by Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen, had previously reported on16 obese patients on a 20-percent carbohydrate diet over 6 months. After 22 months, patients continued to show improvement in hemoglobin A1C, a marker for long-term blood-sugar levels in diabetes.

The paper published today in Nutrition & Metabolism, an open access journal [no subscription required (http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/home/)], also reports that seven patients who immediately switched to a 20-percent carbohydrate diet from a low-fat diet in the earlier study also showed improvement.

According to Richard Feinman, PhD, editor of Nutrition & Metabolism, “It is a small study, but it is the longest of its kind and it shows people coming off medication and improving their glycemic control.” Dr. Feinman is also professor of biochemistry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.

From Newstarget:

- A REVOLUTIONARY low-carbohydrate diet could dramatically ease the effects of epilepsy in children and reduce the need for sufferers to take drugs, researchers claimed today.

- Pioneering work at Londonâ¬s Great Ormond Street Hospital has shown that almost half of youngsters following a high-fat Ketogenic diet have reported a 50 per cent reduction in seizures.

- In trials involving 31 children, doctors were able to reduce the anti-epileptic medication of 42 per cent of patients after three months.

- The tests, conducted with the Institute of Child Health and the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy, have involved children adhering to either a classic version of the Ketogenic diet or one which includes prescription-only medium chain triglyceride supplements.

From Medicalnews today:

High Protein, Low-Carb Diet During Pregnancy Good for Baby

It has been estimated that up to 32 million Americans have adopted the low-carb style of eating, in part because of its quick and dramatic results. Converts often maintain components of low-carb eating long after they've officially finished dieting.

Not surprisingly, a growing number of pregnant women now explore ways to continue low-carb routines through gestation, in fact there are several chat rooms devoted to this topic. Though low-carbing during pregnancy has not been extensively researched, a new study points to some positive benefits for the adult offspring of low-carb dieters.

A team of U.K. scientists at the University of Southampton School of Medicine have found that female pups born to mice who were fed a diet high in unsaturated fat and protein, and low in carbohydrates (low-carb/high-fat) during pregnancy and lactation were likely to have lower liver triglyceride levels in adulthood than pups born to mice on the standard chow diet (high-carb/low-fat). The female low-carb/high-fat offspring also had higher amounts of Proteins that aid fatty acid oxidation (fat burning) than did the standard diet pups. A similar trend was noted in the male low-carb/high-fat offspring, but the results were not as dramatic.

In humans, maintenance of low triglyceride levels and a good lipid (fat) metabolism is important as these factors can reduce the risk of developing coronary artery disease, a condition that affects millions and kills thousands of Americans each year.

Research highlights:

-- Mother mice were assigned either low-carb/high-fat or standard high-carb/low-fat diets approximately six weeks before impregnation. They remained on these diets through pregnancy and nursing.

-- The low-carb/high-fat mother mice ate approximately 21 percent less than the high-carb/low-fat mother mice did. The low-carb/high-fat mother mice consumed 57.5 percent fewer carbs, 153 percent more fat and 23 percent more protein than the mice on the standard diet.

-- The mothers on the low-carb/high-fat diet did not display differences in body weight in comparison to the standard diet mice.

-- All pups were weaned from breast milk onto the same standard high-carb diet into adulthood.

-- Importantly, the adult offspring of low-carb/high-fat mothers had reduced liver triglyceride concentration (less than half that of the pups born to mothers on the standard diet), despite being fed the same standard high-carb/low-fat diet post weaning. They also expressed significantly greater levels of the hepatic proteins CD36, CPT-1 and PPARá, which help with fatty acid oxidation.

The results of the study “A high unsaturated fat, high protein and low carbohydrate diet during pregnancy and lactation modulates hepatic lipid metabolism in female adult offspring” will appear as one of 20 research studies on fetal programming (how a mother's actions affect her offspring) presented in the January 2005 edition of the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology.

The authors of the study are Junlong Zhang, Chunli Wang, and Christopher D. Byrne of the Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Southampton School of Medicine; and Paul L. Terroni, Felino R. A. Cagampang, and Mark Hanson of the Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Physiology Sub-Division at the University of Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital. All authors are in the University of Southampton's Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Division (DOHaD). This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust, the British Heart Foundation, the DOHaD Center and the School of Medicine of the University of Southampton

Very interesting counter information, thank you. I definitely feel people have to make the right choice for themselves and their bodies. I completely agree with cutting out processed carbs, white flour, sugars, white rice, potatoes, I do it myself. My concern is when I read about people eating 600 calories a day in liquid protien, overfilled, underfed, and feeling ill.

XO

Leila

My concern is when I read about people eating 600 calories a day in liquid protien, overfilled, underfed, and feeling ill.

XO

Leila

:clap2:

Yes, this is my concern as well. :eek:

In agree with that, wholeheartedly!

thanks for all of the info guys! i am definitely one who does better with cravings and results with a low carb diet. i don't think that everyone does well with the exact same diet and paul, i totally agree with your assessment that a lot of diet info is put out there by parties who are pushing some agenda or another. i mean the food pyramid itself is basically a propaganda tool for the grain industry. so i'm gonna keep trying to be sugar/processed carb free!