Scam Diets: Low-Carb, No Carb, and Carbs Are Bad

Whole grain carbs are good. Refined grain carbs are bad.

If somebody tells you that all carbs are bad for you, don’t listen. They don’t know what they’re talking about. They’ve fallen for the Atkins-style low-carb scam diet.

The prominent advice in medicine today: stay away from products with refined grain and products with added sugar. Also, eat lots of vegetables.

The key: refined grain carbs are bad. On the other hand, whole grain carbs are good.

You should be eating whole grain carbs. Plenty of them.

Things that could happen when people don’t eat whole grain carbs:

1. Your memory won’t be as sharp.(1)

A study at Tufts University removed carbs from participants’ diets. The result: poorer memory-based task performance. When carbs were reintroduced into participants’ diets, memory-based task performance returned to normal.

2. Your mood will be bad.(2)

Low whole grain consumption could lead to increased anger, depression, anxiety, irritability, and hostility.

3. Your breath will be bad.(3)

If your body can’t use carbs as energy, it will use other fats and proteins that give breath problems.

Things that could happen when people do eat whole grain carbs:

1. Lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Higher good cholesterol levels.(4)

Soluble fiber decreases bad LDL cholesterol. Soluble fiber increases good HDL cholesterol.

2. Fat loss. Prevention of fat gain.(5)

Dietary fiber helps increase fat loss and prevent fat gain.

3. Lower risk of diabetes.(6)

Whole grains lower the risk of diabetes. Refined grains don’t.

So, if somebody tells you all carbs are bad, they’ve fallen for a scam diet.

Perhaps they’ve trusted the advice of someone who also fell for the “all carbs are bad” scam diet.

There is a big difference between refined grain and whole grain carbs.(7)

Refined grain carbs are bad. Refined grains are stripped of the nutrients that whole grains have.

Whole grain carbs are good for you.

The Ocinator Food Guide suggests eating whole grain carbs. The Ocinator Food Guide is consistent with the most prominent health studies and guidelines.

Remember, it’s about eating quality food. Not eliminating food groups. Not limiting calories.

It’s simple: Eat whole grain carbs. Eat quality. Think quality. Feel quality. Be quality.

Sources:

1. Tufts University. “Low-carb Diets Can Affect Dieters’ Cognition Skills.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 December 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211112014.htm>

2. Brinkworth GD, Buckley JD, Noakes M, Clifton PM, Wilson CJ. Long-term Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet and a Low-Fat Diet on Mood and Cognitive Function. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(20):1873-1880. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2009.329

3. Mann, Denise. “Low-Carb Diets Can Cause Bad Breath.” WebMD, WebMD, 2004, www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/low-carb-diets-can-cause-bad-breath#1.

4. Anderson JW, Baird P, Davis RH, Jr, Ferreri S, Knudtson M, Koraym A, Waters V, Williams CL. Health benefits of dietary fiber. Nutr Rev. 2009;67:188-205. [PubMed]

5. Larry A. Tucker, Kathryn S. Thomas; Increasing Total Fiber Intake Reduces Risk of Weight and Fat Gains in Women, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 139, Issue 3, 1 March 2009, Pages 576-581, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.108.096685

6. Aune D, Norat T, Romundstad P, Vatten LJ. Whole grain and refined grain consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. Eur J Epidemiol. 2013;28:845-58.

7. Roberts SB, Karl JP, Meydani M, Junaidah BB, Vanegas SM, Goldin B, et al. Substituting whole grains for refined grains in 6-week randomized trial favorably affects energy balance parameters in healthy men and post-menopausal women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2017.