Low Carb Crusade Collapses

About five years ago, I read about an effort by journalist Gary Taubes to raise money for a study to show that a low-carb diet could result in weight loss. One comment Taubes made about his program inspired me to write about it here.

I was angry that Taubes said the program was explicitly not concerned with health, just weight loss. I was concerned that people who heard that a low-carb diet could result in weight loss would end up getting sick or dying on this unhealthy diet. But I fully expected their study to show that you could lose weight on a low-carb diet. I was wrong. Their preliminary results showed "no significant difference" on a low carb diet. You can read more about it in this WIRED magazine article.

Taubes is right that Americans consume too much sugar. But he and many others extend the negatives associated with simple carbohydrates (sugars) to complex carbohydrates like starches which in the healthiest diets make up about 80% of our calories.

The bottom line: Don't listen to Taubes or others who promote a low-carb or ketosis-based diet. Instead eat exclusively low-fat whole plants to maximize health and longevity.

John Tanner 06-18-18