JCL roundtable: Low-carbohydrate diets.

Low- and very-low-carbohydrate diets have long attracted popular interest in the US and variably throughout the world. The potential value of these diets was recognized recently in a Consensus Report from the American Diabetes Association and expanded in a Scientific Statement from the National Lipid Association. Scientific evidence remains incomplete, but is beginning to catch up with popular trends. In this JCL Roundtable, 3 experts discuss the evidence behind these diets, their current place in nutrition practice, and areas needing more study. The carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity is presented as one explanation for dietary effectiveness. Ongoing research will delineate this model further. The experts, all clinicians, give practical advice for when and how to incorporate low-carbohydrate principles into dietary counseling.

Duke Scholars

Author John Richard Guyton Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition