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The report takes aim at popular diets
that promise quick results by eating steak, bacon, fried eggs
and other high-protein foods, while cutting back on carbohydrates
such as potatoes, pasta, vegetables and fruit. Some of the
more well-known diets cited by the AHA include the Atkins
diet, the Zone, Protein Power, Sugar Busters and Stillman.
And in the long run, high-protein
diets can lead to ketosis, the body's natural response
to starvation that can be induced, to a lesser degree, by
eliminating carbohydrates. Ketosis can lead to appetite loss
-- another way that followers of high-protein diets may shed
weight quickly.
The AMA recommends that individuals who
want to lose weight and keep it off consume the bulk of their
daily calories from carbohydrate-rich
foods such as whole wheat cereals, fiber-rich fruits
and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. About 15% of calories
should come from lean protein sources such as chicken and
fish, and no more than 30% of calories should come from fat,
of which saturated fat should account for less than 10%.
Circulation
October 9, 2001;104:1869-1874
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