Low-carb diets may have negative impacts, too

By now you’ve probably heard or read so many criticisms of the socalled lowcarb diets that you’ve blocked them out, preferring to focus on the highfat, highprotein regimens touted in such diet plans as The Zone, Atkins and South Beach.

But critics of these plans won’t go away, especially since there’s some evidence that these plans may have more negatives attached to them than even they first considered.

For example, there is concern that these diets could contribute to the loss of calcium, resulting in lower bone density and a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. This would be especially troubling both for menopausal women and young girls, who need to lay down strong bone tissue early in life to reduce skeletal problems later on.

There is more evidence as well that reducing the intake of complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, whole grains and fruit may increase the risk of kidney disease, heart problems, some types of cancers and a disease which we thought had passed into history with Henry VIII or, at least, with some of Charles Dickens’ wealthier characters, to wit: gout. This condition is caused by an excessive amount of uric acid produced in the body when purines in these highfat, highprotein foods break down.

It was for good reason that gout was considered a royal or rich man’s disease, because those who could afford to eat those prodigious portions of meats, fowl, eggs or other purine proteins got it — while humbler folks eating their porridge, parsnips and “pease” did not.

The best diet for the long haul, especially where one’s health is concerned, is to eat the foods that are good for us (especially the complex carbohydrates) — just a little less of it at a time — and to exercise more.