Lesson 3: Low Carb Diet Myths & Facts
October 2nd 2011 By
Any diet that throws conventional wisdom to the wind and advocates a new approach is going to be surrounded by controversy, confusion and skepticism.
It is up to you to decide the merits of a low carbohydrate diet based on the information that is available – you should always do your own research and consult a doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.
This lesson aims to educate you on the common arguments many people have against low carb diets and the scientific viewpoints either for or against them.
Note: Don’t expect any conclusions on this page – it is up to you to weigh up the evidence and make your own decisions. I will only be referencing scientific papers and journals for this lesson – conjecture and opinion can be shared in the comments! If you’d like to continue doing your own research past these points, I’d highly recommend using the Scirus search engine.
”Low Carb Diets Cause Cancer”
Arguments for:
- No papers found supporting this claim
Arguments against:
- Apr 2008: Growth of human gastric cancer cells in nude mice is delayed by a ketogenic diet
- Feb 2007: Calorically restricted ketogenic diet, an effective alternative therapy for malignant brain cancer
- Aug 2004: Low Carbohydrate Diets Linked to Reduced Breast Cancer Risk
“Low Carb Diets Lead to Heart Disease”
Arguments for:
- No papers found supporting this claim
Arguments against:
- Feb 2007: Low Carbohydrate Diets not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in women
- Nov 2006: Heart disease and a diet low in carbohydrate aren’t linked
- Jan 2006: Low Carbohydrate Diets Reduce Heart Disease Risk
“Low Carb Diets Increase the Risk of Stroke”
Arguments for:
- No papers found supporting this claim
Arguments against:
“Low Carb Diets Increase Blood Pressure”
Arguments for:
- No papers found supporting this claim
Arguments against:
- Jan 2011: Long-term consumption of a high-carbohydrate diet may modestly raise blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients
- Dec 2010: Blood pressure significantly reduced in rats with High-Fat, Low Carbohydrate diet compared to Low Fat High Carbohydrate diet
- Jan 2010: Low-Carb Diet Lowers Blood Pressure
- May 2006: Reductions in blood pressure greater in protein based diet than carbohydrate based diet
“Low Carb Diets Lead to Kidney Failure”
Arguments for:
- No papers found supporting this claim
Arguments against:
“Low Carb Diets Cause Kidney Stones”
Arguments for:
- Aug 2002: Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets increase risk of kidney stones and may raise bone-loss risk (counter argument to bone loss point: Low Carbohydrate Diet Did Not Increase Bone Loss, Study Finds)
Arguments against:
- No papers found denying this claim
“Low Carb Diets Lead to Gout”
- No papers found either supporting or denying this claim
“Low Carb Diets Cause Osteoporosis / Bone Loss”
Arguments for:
- No papers found supporting this claim
Arguments against:
“Low Carb Diets Damage & Clog Your Arteries”
Arguments for:
Arguments against:
“Low Carb Diets Result in High Cholesterol”
Arguments for:
Arguments against: