For all intents and purposes, NO! Essential vitamins and nutrients come from a balanced diet and low carbohydrate diets are certainly not balanced. You can only get a wide range of essential nutrients from fruits, vegetables and grains – low-carb diets only allow very small amounts of fruit and vegetables (due to the sugar content of many fruits and vegetables) - definitely not enough to provide the daily recommended allowances. The Atkin's diet, for example, claims to clear up all manner of ailments, but the bottom line is that diets such as these are almost always lacking in certain nutrients that are essential for good health. In addition, too high a level of protein can place a tremendous strain on the kidneys.

LOW-carbohydrate diets are also likely to encourage the “yo-yo dieting” syndrome, the infamous cycles of repeatedly losing and regaining weight, which has been shown to be a health risk.

Dieticians tell us that diets that recommend that we reduce our intake of starchy carbohydrates are an “'in vogue” means of losing weight because they have gained a lot of attention in the media. However these diets could actually do more harm than good to our health over the longer term. In fact, the American Heart Association has expressed concern that any high fat-content diet, particularly any that don’t discourage the intake of saturated fats, increases the risk of heart disease for those that follow these diets on a long-term basis. Low carbohydrate diets are a direct contradiction of all the current healthy-eating principles. That is because they are deficient in many vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, because they restrict the intake of fruit and vegetables. There are also concerns that these diets, if followed long-term, may increase the risk of kidney, bone and liver problems.

A balanced, healthy diet, when combined with exercise, is still the most effective and safest long-term way to lose weight. However, because beginning and adhering to a balanced, healthy diet – when combined with a good, consistent exercise program typically results in a much more gradual loss of weight – and - requires determined perseverance, many people looking for quick results tend to become disappointed or discouraged and give up before the real benefits begin to show on their bodies. Quick-fix diets simply do not hold up to scientific scrutiny for either long-term success -or - for any other health benefits one might be seeking.

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