Extreme low-carb diets 'not recommended': study

Extreme low-carb diets 'not recommended': study

By The Yomiuri Shimbun,
Posted: 03/22/2013 06:52:56 AM PDT


A worker carries a tray with ham bread at a bakery in Caracas. (Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins) (© Carlos Garcia Rawlins / Reuters)
Diets that severely restrict carbohydrates are not recommended, according to the Japan Diabetes Society.

An extremely low carbohydrate diet is not recommended because there are insufficient scientific grounds to ensure safety from nutritional problems such as loss of muscle mass, the organization said in a document released Monday. It said research now needs to be carried out to find appropriate carbohydrate intake levels.

The document was compiled by the organization's committee on dietary treatments, chaired by Kazunori Utsunomiya, after studying published findings in and outside Japan.

Focusing on the conventional emphasis on restricting total energy intake, the document says scientific evidence on proper intake levels for Japanese is inconclusive because studies in Europe and the United States have surveyed patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 to 35, much higher than those of most Japanese patients.

The committee said the ideal nutritional proportions are 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent proteins, and the rest fat. But it acknowledges the possibility of reducing carbohydrates, saying, "It is possible to recommend lowering the carbohydrate intake percentage from 50, depending on the preferences and clinical conditions of the patient."

Utsunomiya, a professor at Jikei University, said: "While the

extreme restriction of carbohydrates may cause nutritional problems, it is possible to lower the carbohydrate intake percentage by balancing it with other nutrients. We will keep studying to set the proper criteria" for Japanese.

Overall I'm not a fan of extreme low carb diets even though I've done that before. I like moderate carb intake. Seems to help with over eating and stop cravings as long as protein and fat intake is adequate.