January Summary

The first question asked if you would recommend a carbohydrate restricted diet to promote a healthy weight loss. Many responses brought up the point that most people tend to eat inappropriate amounts of carbohydrates to begin with. In many cases a normal diet with an appropriate composition of carbohydrates may be considered a carbohydrate restricted diet. Almost everyone brought up the American Diabetes Association’s recommendations of 130 grams of carbohydrate or more per day were established for good health. Most pointed out that this recommendation is based off the fact that glucose is the main source of energy for the brain and central nervous system, as well as to provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are essential to the body. Everyone expressed concern regarding validity of the lower triglyceride levels due to a lower cholesterol diet. The meta-analysis mentions that most of the studies reviewed were conducted for a very short duration. The article also expressed the need for more long-term research to determine if this affect is continued to be seen after the body adjusts to this diet.

The second question addresses the idea of the use of carbohydrate restricted diets in those considered to be a vulnerable population. The second part of the question asked how they would handle a situation where one of these populations wished to start the diet. Many of the responses mentioned they would search for the reasons why the patient wanted to be on a restricted carbohydrate diet. Then, they would discuss the reasons why this diet may not be appropriate for the patient. From there, they would help the patient find a weight loss plan that would work for them individually. Everyone stated they would try to focus on eating healthy and provide tips on how to cut calories and add more physically activity. Some of the responses even pointed out that generally it doesn’t really matter to the client how they are achieving their goal, as long as they are losing the weight. The meta-analysis points out that while this type of diet isn’t recommended for these populations, studies are inconclusive as to whether this diet would result in poor clinical outcomes.

The third question asked why blood lipid profiles were not affected considering the main components of a carbohydrate restricted diet are fat and protein, which tend to contain saturated fat and cholesterol. Many of the responses dealt with the issue of numerous variables that were left unclear within the article. Many things can affect blood lipid profiles such as, total calorie intake, ratios of macronutrients, what the subjects diet was composed of (healthy or unhealthy options), medications subjects were on, and even genetics. Since this was a meta-analysis, the techniques used in each study were not given in the review. It was also unknown if the studies were conducted over a long enough time period to accurately see changes in blood lipid profiles. The general consensus was the need for more long term research to determine the true affect of carbohydrate restricted diets on health.

Carbohydrate restricted diets had recently become the fad diet favorite of the general population. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the affects a diet of this composition could have on health. Fad diets are something dietitians will continuously have to research and educate the patients on. Keeping up to date in diet trends and understanding their risks and benefits is a big part of our career.