Term Paper on "Effects on the Heart"

Term Paper 5 pages (1642 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

diets upon heart disease.

Though heart disease is one of the number one reasons why an individual may embark on a diet to lose any amount of weight, fad diets seem to the be the most logical answer for many, as their results are often seen to be much more immediate than a standard, balanced diet, suggested by most traditional medical practitioners to be most effective and healthiest in the long-term. This work will briefly discuss the effects of fad diets on heart disease. Low-carbohydrate diets, or all protein diets such as the Adkins diet will be addressed first as their recent popularity among dieters is significant, yet, the work will also look at diets that remove a great deal of fats from the diet, (all carbohydrate diets and combination, protein and carbohydrate diets) and diets and high caffeine diets. One thing that must be made clear about all fad diets is their tendency, regardless of their type to cause individuals to go through a series of weight loss and weight gain cycles.

Within this small body if knowledge there are many conjectures about the lack of long-term results associated with fad diets such as the low-carbohydrate, high protein diets other than by those who profess that they work as a rout that seriously contradicts the view of many health care professionals, including doctors and nutrition specialists. These professionals obviously demonstrate a marked level of disregard for fad diets of any kind as they often do not represent a diet that offers the individual a balanced selection of food. Yet, those with the most the say contradict the all protein diets as the potentially most damaging to the body. "You will lose weight in the first week on these diets, but past that, they lack essential nutrients, and it is an unbalanced way of eating. It lacks fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Eating high-fat and high-cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and tests the kidneys."

Goff 1)

One state of the body, which is professed to be the most helpful during the weight loss associated with a low-carbohydrate diet is a state of ketosis, where the body flushes excess fat from the diet through the kidneys and results in a higher concentration of ketones in the urine has been suspected by the diet advocate as healthy but has been logically challenged as unhealthy by many.

Proponents of the Atkins diet claim that ketosis helps burn fat. However, researchers found no correlation between ketosis and weight loss in the Atkins diet. Prolonged ketosis may deplete mineral stores in the bones, causing them to become porous and brittle. (Mayo Clinic Staff, Website, 2005)

The long-term effects of ketosis has been suggested by many as one of the number one reasons why an individual may have prolonged negative effects from the use of the low-carbohydrate diet as a source for weight reduction. Yet, the most logical of the complaints lodged against the low-carb diet craze is associated with the nutritional make up of the diet and the effects on the heart.

Research hasn't yet determined the long-term effectiveness or risks of the low-carbohydrate diet. And there's concern in the medical community about the long-term effects of these diets on a dieter's health, especially on the heart. it's well documented that foods promoted in the low-carbohydrate diets -- for example, foods high in saturated fat such as meat, butter or cream -- have been shown to increase your risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. (Mayo Clinic Staff, Website, 2005)

The Mayo clinic position paper then goes on to stress that the foods banned from the low-carb high protein diet have been historically linked with the dangers of long-term lack of helath. "...foods restricted on these diets -- for example, whole grains, vegetables and fruits -- have vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can help reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other health conditions." (Mayo Clinic Staff, Website, 2005)

All carbohydrate diets, such as all fruit diets or all fruit and rice diets have been shown to be lacking in logic, as they may decrease the overall caloric intake they also can cause an increased risk of many health conditions, and of coarse discomfort caused by the purging effects they have on the body. Though cleansing diets can be helpful in a short-term situation they are not logically sustainable and can have disastrous effects of the heart as it is stressed byt the constant influx of increased blood sugar and the ups and downs of carbohydrate intake with no balance of longer burning sources of nutrition.

A studies with animals indicate that repeated weight loss and regain can result in an increased preference for fatty foods (Brownell, Greenwood, Stellar, & Shrager, 1986), hypertension (Ernsberger, 1985), heart disease (Smith, Smith, Mameesh, Simon, & John son, 1964), and shortened lifespan" (Ernsberger).

Cogan and Rothblum 410)

Though studies have yet to demonstrate that the same is true of humans, this reality of the fad diet craze is often displayed as the number one reason why an individual must try the next one that become popular.

Also on the block are diets which profess to help the individual lose weight by cutting fat from the diet, as it is the food group with the highest concentration of calories per serving, at nine compared to four and the idea that such foods are the leading culprits of poor health and fat retention. These diets often appear in the form of the low-fat, or all lean protein and carbohydrate diets.

One dangerous issue for many is that the idea of removing any part of the balance of food from the diet can and will cause some long-term health problems. Contrary to popular belief, fat does not cause fat. Overweight conditions are caused by a more complicated set of factors, including general high-caloric dieting and lack of physical movement and low/no fat diets are not proven to lower risks of heart disease and carry with them their own set health risks of, such as high serum cholesterol and artery blockage, while increased moderate physical exercise and moderate dietary caloric reduction are.

Fad diets are flawed in other important ways. Most do not encourage physical activity -- for example walking 30 minutes most days of the week -- which is helpful for maintaining weight loss over a long period. Lack of physical activity is also a major risk factor for heart disease. (the American Heart Association, Website, 2005)

One of the most popular additions to any weight loss program is a diet in conjunction with appetite suppression drugs or additives. One of the most common of these additives is caffeine, as it is readily available and does have appetite suppression qualities.

Appetite suppressants are not recommended for people who are only mildly overweight unless they have health problems that are made worse by their weight. These medications should not be used only to improve appearance because they may cause a life-threatening disease -- primary pulmonary hypertension. Primary pulmonary hypertension affects the blood vessels in the lungs and results in death within four years in 45% of its victims. There is no way to determine who is at risk of developing this problem. (the American Heart Association, Website, 2005)

Yet, the dangers of to much caffeine in the diet is one thing that has been shown to be detrimental for as long as such things have been studied. The short and long acting effects of caffeine are contrary to actual real weight loss as the caffeine acts as a diuretic, flushing important fluids out of the system and also causes longer term effects on blood sugar levels, which causes the body to regard itself as if it is in a state of emergency and… READ MORE

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