Life> Health

Low-carb diets have higher death rates

By Ruth Hill (The Dominion Post )
Updated: 2007-06-01 15:33

The fad for low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets could be putting Kiwi lives at risk, say dieticians.

A study published in last month's European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found prolonged consumption of such a diet was associated with a higher mortality rate, particularly from cardiovascular problems and cancers.

The study, of 23,000 Greek men and women, also found those with a higher intake of carbohydrates had "a significant reduction of total mortality".

Dietetic Association president Jan Milne said people who cut carbohydrates out of their diets missed out on an important source of nutrients, including B vitamins and iron.

"If a parent goes on a low-carb diet, the rest of the family sometimes ends up on it by default,"she said.

"This is particularly dangerous for children, who typically get a lot of their iron from bread."

High-protein diets such as the Atkins diet – which encourages adherents to eat large amounts of saturated animal fats, including bacon, eggs and butter – were dangerous in the long term because of the increased risk of heart disease, she said.

Robert Atkins, whose 1972 book Dr Atkins' Diet Revolution inspired dieters all over the world to go on a bacon binge, died in 2003 at the age of 73 after developing a heart condition three years previously.

However, the low-carb craze has continued unabated, with US celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston, Stevie Nicks and Al Gore, testifying to the reductive benefits of avoiding fruit and pasta, and instead opting for hamburgers, steaks and cheese omelettes.

Mrs Milne said many foods marketed as "low carb" or "low fat" actually contained large amounts of sugar, which was "incredibly dishonest".

"A lot of these crazes are generated by the 'white worried well', who can afford to obsess about what they eat.

"You have to remember that fad diets are usually built on the fact someone wants to make some money."