Recently, the catering industry in the United States is experiencing a wave of low sugar (low carbohydrate). Fast food restaurants, traditional restaurants, food manufacturers and retailers in the United States have introduced various low-sugar new products, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola, KFC, low-carbon fried chicken, McDonald's and BURGER KING, and low-sugar beer. In addition, low-sugar food specialty stores have mushroomed. According to a survey by Mintel, a market research company, 41% of the adults surveyed have adopted "Atkins Diet" (or low-carbohydrate diet, short for low-carbon water diet) to reduce sugar intake.

The diet with high protein and low carbohydrate is particularly popular among British people. It is said that 3 million British people have adopted a low-carbon water diet, accounting for 7% of the male population and 11% of the female population.

ATKINS diet advocates eating less bread, noodles, rice and other cereal foods with high carbohydrate content, and eating more fish, meat, milk and bean products with high protein content, as well as vegetables and fruits rich in cellulose and vitamins.

Wrong about V.S.

Several health groups, including the American Heart Association, issued a joint statement saying that "a low-carbon water diet can not achieve long-term weight loss, but may be harmful to health". They think that eating more animal protein foods will increase the intake of cholesterol, thus increasing the level of LDL (low density lipoprotein).

It is generally believed in academia that a high-protein diet will cause changes in human metabolism, especially when 51% of calories come from protein. However, the effects of a long-term high-protein diet on physiology and function have not been thoroughly studied. At present, a long-term animal experiment shows that, The intake of protein, which is three times the daily requirement, is not harmful to the main organs of male mice. < P > The study on the high-protein diet of obese mice carried out by French scientists shows that long-term intake of high-protein food can reduce the food intake and reduce the production of adipocytes, and at the same time, the levels of insulin, LEPTIN, triglyceride and glucose tolerance in the basic blood are improved. Calcium balance is not affected by milk protein intake; In addition, contrary to what is generally believed, a high-protein diet has no effect on the health of kidneys and livers. After six months of the experiment, the average weight of mice in the high-protein group is 1.8% lower than that in the protein-free group, and the physical composition, especially the subcutaneous fat layer, is obviously different. < P > The study also found that the weight loss in the high-protein group is closely related to the basal blood sugar and insulin levels. Because the calories consumed by the two groups of mice are exactly the same, The lower basal blood glucose and insulin levels can be attributed to the decrease of carbohydrate intake. This result proves that a high-protein diet will not lead to hyperglycemia and high insulin levels.

French scientists concluded that replacing carbohydrates with protein will be beneficial to the constitution and the levels of triglycerides, glucose, adiponectin and insulin in basic blood.

Another research report published at the Medical Society of New Orleans, USA, pointed out that, ATKINS diet with strict carbohydrate restriction is a safe and effective way to lose weight. The study conducted at DURHAN Medical Center in North Carolina showed that 41 subjects with moderate obesity lost 21 pounds on average, blood triglyceride decreased by 41%, cholesterol decreased by 6.1%, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) increased by 7% within 4 months, and the researchers found no liver. The renal function is adversely affected.

The subjects eat less than 21g of carbohydrates every day, but take vitamins and fish oil, and exercise for three minutes every week.

Dr. WESTMAN, who is in charge of this study, said, "The four-month ATKINS diet test makes us scientifically convinced of what Dr. ATKINS has seen in the practice in the past decades. This diet structure can reduce cholesterol and triglycerides and improve HDL. It provides a brand-new way to prevent heart disease.

Another subsequent study involving 319 obese patients further proves Dr. WESTMAN's conclusion.

Is it safe?

Mr. p>VOSS, 36 years old, has been suffering from obesity. He has tried many ways to lose weight, but it didn't work. When he reached 315 pounds, he read <: < Dr. ATKINS' latest dietary revolution >: > A book, and was deeply attracted.

What attracted him? VOSS said, "I eat meat. I eat all the meat I can, such as lamb chops, steak, pork chops and shrimps. I love meat, and I only eat meat." VOSS became one of the millions of enthusiasts in China who tried a low-carbon water diet.

Dr. p>ATKINS is a cardiologist. In his book, he advocated eating more meat, eggs and fat, and eating less or no food containing sugar. Even many kinds of vegetables and fruits. He said, "Carbohydrate contributes to the production of fat, and strictly restricting the intake of carbohydrate can make people lose weight."

Dr. p>ATKINS began to sell his low-carbon water diet concept to Americans as early as the 1971s. He thought it was too old-fashioned to lose weight by controlling calories (several calories). But his view was soon replaced by the low-fat theory that "coarse grains and vegetables are more nutritious." "Because there is no quantitative standard for a low-calorie and low-fat diet, people with good appetites can't do it, but according to my theory, they will not only lose weight quickly, but also feel good," said Dr. ATKINS. < P > According to Dr. ATKINS' method, VOSS completely changed the way of eating for themselves and the whole family. They no longer eat low-calorie and low-fat foods. Instead, they store all kinds of meat in the refrigerator. They eat eggs and sausages for breakfast, steak, hot dogs or hamburgers with green beans for lunch, and then meat and a small amount of vegetables at night, instead of bread, rice and noodles.

ATKINS' theory is that not eating carbohydrate and sugar will force you to burn the fat stored in your body to gain energy. For VOSS, about 111 pounds of body fat will be burned in 1 years. I lost 1/3 of my weight. "I've never felt better like this," VOSS said.

As a result of weight loss, VOSS' cholesterol has come down, at least in the short term. But is this diet with high saturated fatty acids and low vegetables and fruits healthy?

"I'm angry that some people actually adopt this diet," said CATHY NONAS, a registered dietitian at ST. LUKE'S-ROOSEVELT Hospital in new york. She said that a high-protein and high-fat diet puts VOSS in a very dangerous situation, and he may get colon cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol. Will be more obese.

Many nutrition experts and health organizations criticize ATKINS' high-protein diet. Critics say that the weight loss mainly comes from dehydration, and the bones will become brittle due to lack of essential nutrients and vitamins.

"You may have an arrhythmia or have a heart attack because potassium is lost with water," NONA said. "You will increase the burden on your kidneys, get kidney calculi, and you will get gout. It makes your joints ache. "

Dr. p>ATKINS thinks that many nutrients lacking in a high-protein diet can be obtained through dietary supplements. In fact, many people's cholesterol levels have dropped significantly. As for renal function," there has never been a report that a high-protein diet will damage the kidney, "he said." This is a nutritionist's nonsense. "

In fact, Everything can't be absolute. Nutritionists suggest that you can increase the proportion of protein in your diet, mainly eat high-protein foods with low fat content, such as chicken and fish, and eat appropriate amounts of grains, vegetables and fruits.

Weight loss principle

Dr. p>ATKINS' theoretical basis is that sugar in high-carbon water foods can raise the level of insulin and turn sugar into fat for storage in the body. High-carbon water foods include bread, rice, Noodles, sugar, fruits, and some vegetables, such as carrots. When the intake of carbohydrate food is reduced, insulin is controlled at a low level, and fat will not be generated or stored. On the contrary, the human body will consume the stored fat to provide energy. When the daily intake of carbohydrate is reduced to 11-61 grams, The mechanism of fat burning has started.

Balanced diet

Long-term low-carbon water diet dominated by pig beef does have the risk of causing high cholesterol and sudden heart disease, because the saturated fat content of pig beef is relatively high. The first solution is to remove the fat from pig beef and eat only lean meat, or mainly chicken and fish. Another way is to eat protein powder, such as whey protein powder without cholesterol and sugar.

While reducing the intake of saturated fat, we should properly supplement unsaturated fatty acids, and eat more foods with high unsaturated fatty acids, such as peanuts, walnuts, almonds and deep sea rich in DHA/EPA, so as to ensure the intake of fat-soluble vitamin ADEK. DHA/EPA also helps to prevent the deposition of platelets. Prevent cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke.

In fact, nothing can be absolute. Nutritionists suggest that you can increase the proportion of protein in your diet, mainly eat high-protein foods with low fat content, such as chicken and fish, dairy products and bean products, and also eat appropriate amounts of cereals, vegetables and fruits, and supplement vitamins, calcium and OMEGA-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA/EPA).