The Lowdown On Low Carb Diets by Steven Rosenblatt M.D., Ph.D. (NAPSA)—Good news for the nearly two-thirds of Americans whoare overweight: You don’t have to give up all the delicious carbs you love to lose weight. While reducing our consumption of highly refined carbs like breads, pastas and rice is a good idea, drastically reducing them,or totally eliminating them is not, and could have health consequences. While you will lose weight on a low-carb diet, many find the weight loss temporary. There are several reasons. The simplest is that low-carb diets, like every other diet, can be boring. After a while, people quit. Rapid weight re-gain results. In addition, our bodies need carbs because they provide important vitamins, minerals andfiber. In the beginning of a low-carb diet, when few carbohydrates are consumed, the body uses stored carbohydrates as fuel. When they’re used up, the body enters a starvation mode, and uses protein instead. This causes loss of muscle mass. Other harmful effects are: Not enough glucose for the brain; a strain on the kidneys; increased calcium loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis; high levels of saturated fats which increase the risk of heart disease; not enough vitamins, minerals and fiber, which may raise risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Fortunately, a starch neutral- izer extracted from the white bean has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the absorption of carbohydrates. Called Phase 2, it inhibits the enzymethat digests carbohydrates. As a result, a portion of the carbohydrates >. Your body needs carbohydrates for important nutrients and fiber. consumed pass’ harmlessly through the digestive tract much like fiber. In recent research, subjects who took Phase 2 before meals rich in carbohydrates, lost an average of 3.79 pounds in eight weeks without other changes to diet or exercise regimens. In addition, their triglyceride levels fell 26 points on average. An ingredient in many popular over-the-counter supplements, Phase 2 can be a sensible way to cut the calories from carbohydrates without risking the serious, long-term consequences of low carb diets. Adding it to a balanced diet and regular exercise can help you win at the losing game. For more information, see www. phase2info.com. e Dr. Rosenblatt is board certi- fied in Family Practice and a leading authority on complementary medicine.
