Atkins Health Warning - Low Carb Diet Plan Can Seriously Damage Your Health

97% of State Registered Dieticians in the UK would not recommend an Atkins-style, low carbohydrate diet.

A survey of State Registered Dieticians in the UK reveals over 97% would not recommend an Atkins-style, low carbohydrate diet and 64% believe that eliminating wheat from the diet is bad for your health.

Following this weekend safety fears over the Atkins Diet, a leading nutritionist, Dr Susan Jebb’s, message was also clear: carbohydrates are NOT the bad guys of the food world. In fact, she says, they are such an essential part of a normal diet that dropping them could create a severe health risk.

While in the US, the National Weight Control Registry, held by the University of Colorado, Denver, collates the details of over 3,000 people who have lost over 2 stone and kept the weight off for 5 years or more. This data shows that most of the people who lose weight and keep it off do so by eating a high carbohydrate/ low fat diet. Less than 7% of the people on the register lost weight eating a low carbohydrate diet.

The trend amongst high profile celebrities to undertake low-carb diets could be influencing us, including our children, into cutting out an essential part of our everyday diet – bread. Warburtons, the family baker has asked Fiona Hunter - leading independent nutritionist, to investigate this further.

A spokesperson for Warburtons said: “With the current fashion for low carbohydrate diets, food combining and other misinformed food fads, bread has undeservedly been cast as a villain, but contrary to popular belief bread is actually good for us – and nutritionists recommend we should all be eating more of it.”

Research also shows that young people, aged between 4-18 years, are failing to reach the recommended intake of key nutrients including calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. Analysis of blood samples found evidence of poor nutritional status with regard to iron and the B vitamins folate, riboflavin and thiamine.

For a child aged between 7-10 years old, 4 slices of white bread would provide the following essential nutrients: 28% of the RDA of Calcium, 25% of the RDA of Iron and 42% of the RDA of vitamin B1. A slice of toast or a sandwich makes a quick and healthy snack for a child after school and will provide significantly higher levels of the key nutrients and less fat than many other traditional snacks.

DID YOU KNOW…

•Bread has been a staple in our diet for almost 8,000 years.

•The bread and flour regulations require that all white flour is fortified with the B vitamins thiamine and niacin, and the minerals iron and calcium.

•Slice for slice white bread actually contains twice as much calcium as wholemeal.

•For women aged between 19-50 years 4 slices of wholemeal bread would provide: % of the RDA

88% Selenium

Helps protect cells by acting as an antioxidant. You should be able to get all the selenium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. Good food sources include brazil nuts, bread, fish, meat and eggs. 66% Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

Over a third of our thiamine intake comes from cereal products like bread - and thiamine is especially valuable to release energy for your body from carbohydrates. Other good sources include rice, pasta, wholegrain foods and liver.

42% Magnesium

Has a number of important functions - it helps turn the food we eat into energy and helps make sure the parathyroid glands work normally (the parathyroid glands produce hormones important for bone health). Good sources include bread, fish, meat and dairy foods.

29% Folic acid

Involved in the production of red and white blood cells in bone marrow, and in the development of genes. It is essential for growing cells and for healthy blood, and it's now accepted that folic acid is very important if you’re pregnant (or planning on becoming pregnant). Bread is a natural source of folic acid. Other important sources include green leafy vegetables, dried peas, beans and lentils.

27% Iron

This mineral is required for healthy blood and good circulation. The absorption of iron from bread is improved by adding a food or drink that's rich in vitamin C.

11% Calcium

A human body contains more than 1kg of calcium, and the vast majority is in our bones. As well as healthy bones, you also need calcium for strong teeth. It also helps our nerves and muscles to work effectively. Products rich in calcium can be beneficial to bone health. Bread can play an important role in providing calcium to the diet.

SORTING THE FACT FROM THE FICTION…

Bread is fattening – FALSE

1 slice of bread contains just 80 calories – about the same as a small banana.

White bread has been stripped of fibre – FALSE

Although wholemeal bread contains more fibre than white – white bread still provides useful amounts of fibre to the diet.

For more information, see how Dr. Atkins diet works.

About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.atkins-diet-plan-n-recipes.com. Information about the Atkins diet plan and low carb cooking for long term weight loss.