Low-Carb Myths

David Mendosa started me thinking when he started this on Health Central. "Some people say that to follow a low-carb diet is expensive. But they’re spreading one of the most pernicious myths about diabetes management. This myth assumes that a low-carb diet means cutting back on inexpensive fat and eating a lot of costly protein."

The following are some of the myths promoted that I have heard, read about, or have been promoted to me by registered dietitians in emails:

1. Eating low-carb is expensive. David explains this away very well in his blog.
2. Low-carb eating means you are missing essential nutrients for life and especially cognitive function. While carbohydrates are considered a macronutrient, it is one that is not essential to life or brain function. It is some of the micronutrients in carbohydrates that we need a few of and these can be obtained in other less carb-dense foods or almost carb-free foods.
3. Low-carb needs to be low fat as well. This is only what the medical profession and the dietitians that are nutrition ignorant and behind the times believe. Fortunately, Keyes has been proven wrong and low fat has been disproven to cause heart and artery problems.
4. Low-carb means eating high protein. False - increasing protein for those of us with diabetes can be very unhealthy and dangerous. That is why there should be little, if no increase in protein. It is the fat that needs to be increased.
5. By replacing carbs with fat, our cholesterol levels will dramatically Improve. The lobbying efforts by Big Pharma are being corrected and only those in the medical profession that are receiving money from Big Pharma will be left promoting statins. It may take several years to weed these out of the profession, but it will happen. The only possible redemption for statins is some studies that show inflammation reduction when statins are used.

It is sad that many dietitians are the tools of Big Food. Not only are they a problem in the United States, but in Australia, and now in South Africa. This article helps explain what is happening in South Africa. Of course, they looked to the situation in the United States and copied what the dietitians are doing here. The big food companies were all too happy to expand their influence and they are supporting the dietitians is South Africa.

That is one reason I have little faith in the dietitians and their attempts to become the only source of nutrition. Few are accepting what many people with diabetes are telling them and they instead listen to Big Food and are slowly attempting to promote what Big Food wants.