If he's sane, he won't be for long

Posted by Essie at 3:31pm Aug 27 '09
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His liver is utilizing gluconeogenesis (creating glucose from fat) for his body to function, since he isn't taking in any carbs. It isn't the cell's preference as far as fuel sources go, and the brain can't use anything other than the glucose in the cerebrospinal fluid to function. He's going to screw up his cholesterol values as well, and increase his risk for cardiovascular complications if he stays on this for an extended period of time. He runs the risk for gastrointestinal complications, as we get fiber (soluble and insoluble) from things that have carbs like fruits and grains. This adds bulk and water to the feces and allows them to move through the intestines. Without that, they sit there and the bacteria has an opportunity to set up residence in the intestinal diverticula. I've seen that progress to diverticulitis (not saying this *will* happen, just that it *could*)

Its a fad diet, and those are rarely good for someone. We need moderation in *each* food group for our body systems to function at their best. And diets don't work. Eating healthy as a habit and making small reasonable changes is more likely to be successful. For a short period, he'll be fine. If he continues this for months, he *could* compromise his health.
Just to clarify, there are many more systems that are affected by this, the most significant being cardiovascular. Heart attack, thrombotic stroke, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular complications, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

I would *never* suggest this diet to anyone, and if any of my patients came in on this diet, I'd immediately start patient education on healthy eating habits and refer them to a nutritionist. The probability of adverse reactions due to this diet is just too high.