Arguments Against Low-Carb Diets

Other Common Sense Arguments Against Low-Carb Diets

• How many slim and healthy people do you know really have been following a low-carb diet for more than a year? Probably none. You may know someone who has tried the diet for a while and lost some weight but this anecdote should not be sufficient to try the diet. Was this person eating junk before? Most people initially lose weight on a low-carb diet because they restrict the level of calories, not because of the larger quantity of fat, cholesterol and animal proteins. Also, most people stop the low-carb diet after a while because they just can’t keep up the carbohydrate restriction
• How many long lived societies follow a low-carb diets? The book Blue Zones by Dan Buettnercontains detailed information on the longest-lived populations and the diet they have in common is one that is very rich in plants and low in animal products and processed foods. The Eskimos and Inuits on their whale blubber diet are not on the list (not even close)
• How many people have reversed cancer, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, or heart disease by adopting a low-carb diet? How many physicians had success with such an approach? The answer is zero. Now, look at the success of people like Drs. Fuhrman, McDougall, Klaper and others. They all have tons of examples and success stories. The proof is in the pudding.
• How many successful athletes follow a low-carb diet? The answer is none. Check for athletes in all fields: cycling, running, swimming, cross-country skiing, triathlons, rowing, mountain climbing, etc. You will not find a single one. It is impossible to be a high-performing athlete and be successful while following a low-carb diet. The fuel is simply not right and the machine (human body) simply breaks down. Don’t assume that it’s simply because none of them have tried. The low-carb diets have been around for more than 100 years and several athletes have tried them at some point in the past. It just does not work. You can test yourself or you can learn from other people’s experience.
• The low carb gurus like to say that we will still have the body of our ancestors in the Paleolithic area which were hunter gatherers and that consequently our diet should be centered around meats with some non-starchy vegetables and a little bit of fruits. Interestingly, these low carbers have failed to look at the science that shows that our ancestors were mostly gatherers as opposed to hunters (see the video below from Nathaniel Dominy). These low carb gurus will not tell you that gladiators were actually vegan (video below). These low carb gurus will not tell you that Pharaohs (Egyptian kings and queens) ate a diet rich in meat without refined sugar and had heart disease, which explains the mummy paradox because these pharaohs were not eating simple plant foods like their poor subjects (see the mummy paradox article below). The same article will demonstrate that even that the Ice Man from 5200 years was a vegan too! The low carb primal Paleo concept is based on flawed science; even their arguments about our ancestors are wrong!