‘Zone’ Creates Controversy Among Nutritionists

You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but the jacket might indicate whether a best seller is in the making.

The cover of “The Zone” (ReganBooks), by a biotechnology researcher named Barry Sears, promises ways to “avoid the dangers of bad carbohydrates, balance your hormone and insulin levels, lose weight permanently, reset your genetic code, prevent disease, achieve maximum physical performance and enhance mental productivity.”

The back jacket makes more statements: Eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Athletes perform better on a high-fat diet. The new U.S. dietary recommendations are dead wrong.

There is a list of carbohydrates that “could be dangerous to your health,” including bananas, apple juice, orange juice, bagels, bread, carrots, dry cereal, popcorn, rice, potatoes, raisins and pasta.

Sensational stuff? “Each statement is eminently defensible,” said Sears, who holds a doctorate in biochemistry but has no published research or affiliation with an academic institution. “It may sound like hype, but it’s not.”

“You don’t make the best-seller list by promoting the usual health stuff and government dietary guidelines,” counters nutritionist Ellen Coleman, who reviewed Sears’ book in a recent issue of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition. “There is no scientific evidence this diet controls the hormonal system as he explains it.”

Sears considers all food and drink as drugs with a powerful effect on the hormonal systems that regulate the body. He particularly focuses on the balance between insulin and glucagon, two hormones directly responsible for regulating our energy levels.

Eating too many carbohydrates unduly raises insulin levels, Sears says. Aside from diabetics, who have severe reactions to insulin swings and should be monitored by physicians, Sears says too much insulin leads to varying dropoffs in energy levels, mental focus and calmness.

His solution is to consume a “moderate carbohydrate” diet, at 40 percent of daily calories, while adding about twice the protein - 30 percent of daily calories - recommended by most nutritionists and the U.S. Food Pyramid. He also endorses getting 30 percent of daily calories from fats, especially monounsaturated varieties such as olive oil, macadamia nuts and avocados.

The “Zone” program promotes the 40-30-30 ratio at every meal and snack to keep insulin in check. Sears recommends three daily meals of 500 calories each and two 100-calorie snacks.

“Carbohydrates should be viewed as a drug,” said Sears, who first developed his program for high-performance athletes and now intends the “Zone” to fit most anyone. “Their toxic side effect is increased insulin. I treat all food as drugs.”

Sears acknowledged that about 25 percent of people don’t have a significant insulin reaction to a high-carbohydrate meal. But the rest have a noticeable change in insulin-glucagon levels, he said. An easy way to determine insulin sensitivity, he said, is by eating a high-carbohydrate, no-protein meal, such as pasta marinara and a lettuce salad. If you are sleepy within three hours, then you have some sensitivity.

Many nutritionists are unconvinced by Sears’ theories.

“The book is intimidating and convincing to anyone not familiar with biochemistry because it comes across as scientific,” said Coleman, author of “The Ultimate Sports Nutrition Handbook” (Bull).

“At the very least, his program will harm athletic performance due to the lack of sufficient carbohydrates. But my biggest concern is the health claims he makes about cancer, heart disease and even AIDS. He is creating false hope.”

Ann Grandjean, a longtime nutrition consultant to the U.S. Olympic Committee, said the best strategy is paying attention to how your body reacts to changes in your diet.

For example, she said that most long-distance athletes will find that a higher amount of complex carbohydrates provides more energy during workouts. Anyone involved in heavy weight training will benefit from added protein.

“My concern (with the ‘Zone’ program) is there isn’t one single guideline that meets the needs of every athlete or individual,” Grandjean said. “No one book or program applies to everyone. Every person, including the recreational athlete, needs to see what works for them.”