Haverland 1

Natalie Haverland

Eng 1201

Prof Morean

13 March 2020

Literature Review

So much information is given on dieting and nutrition. Some say you should eat a lot of

meat, while others say meat is bad for you; you should eat grains and oats, you shouldn’t eat

grains and oats, undertake some level of a restrictive diet, eat everything in moderation (Le).

There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on what “dieting” plan one should live by. When dieting,

partaking in some kind of physical exercise weekly is recommended, specifically 150 minutes by

the US government (Tello). However, as the saying goes, you can’t work off a bad diet. There

are so many dieting techniques that can contribute to weight loss. These include the keto diet, the

Mediterranian diet, a low-carb diet, a low-fat diet, the paleo diet, a vegetarian diet, and so many

others. Each diet has many pros and cons, leading some to be better than others. What dieting

techniques are the most effective ways to lead a healthy lifestyle?

Different diets started millions years ago and changed over the course of human

evolution. Stephen Le received a Ph.D. in biological anthropology, graduated with a master’s

degree in international relations from John Hopkins, and wrote the book “100 Million Years of

Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today.” He explains the history of the

human diet and the impact on people today. To begin, 100 million years ago when our ancestors

were tree dwellers, insects were a common source of vitamins and iron (Le). Humans can no

longer digest the chitin-containing, hard exoskeletons of insects after losing a valuable enzyme
 Haverland 2

during evolution. Our ancestors became full-time fruit eaters, but (as demonstrated by Steve

Jobs’s fruit-only diet) too much fructose can lead to insulin resistance and pancreatic cancer.

Two million years ago, our ancestors became land-dwellers and began a meat-based diet. While

this increased brain size and accelerated evolution, humans today cannot eat too much meat

without risking excess nitrogen compounds and high cholesterol levels. About 8,000 years ago,

meat was substituted by other foods, such as fish and milk. Fish is full of healthy omega-3 fatty

acids and vitamin D, but it was not viewed as “food” by all cultures or accessible to all. Milk is

statistically linked to increased growth in children, but it also led to poor bone health in some

areas that had tall populations. These populations absorbed calcium more efficiently, while

others experienced dangerously high calcium levels (linked to prostate cancer) if they were to

drink a lot of milk. About 12,000 years ago, humans turned to plants after the extinction of large

mammals. Because plants are surrounded by predators, they develop toxins and chemicals, some

of which are very harmful to humans or upsetting to the digestive system. Eating what our

ancestors ate is termed today as a paleo diet. Analyzing what our ancestors ate can reveal why

humans have food intolerances, cancers, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and more health problems. His

book is meant to shed light onto the issues everyday people have due to bad dieting. He believes

variations of the paleo diet are the best techniques to lead a healthy lifestyle.

In order to decide which dieting plan is optimal for weight loss, an evaluation of each

technique is needed. Shilpa Joshi, a registered dietician with multiple publications in peer

reviewed journals, teams up with multiple authors to write an article in the Indian Journal of

Medicine analyzing the pros and cons of popular weight-loss diets, with a focus on extreme

diets. An “extreme” diet is one that promotes rapid weight loss (Joshi et al). Examples of these
 Haverland 3

diets include low-carb (high-fat), low-fat (high-carb), and very-low-calorie. To start, a research

article published in Drug Invention Today peer-reviewed journal, analyzes the effects of a keto

diet on gym trainers and users. Written by a multitude of authors, the article outlined an

experiment conducted analyzing previous knowledge and results of a keto diet. A keto diet is a

high-fat and high-protein diet paired with extremely low carb intake (20-50 grams per day) (Bala

et al). This pushes the body into ketosis, in which energy comes from fat instead of saccharides.

It is more successful in males than females and many people see drastic weight loss. The major

downside of this diet is it can cause renal system failure after prolonged use. The Atkins diet is

another example of a low-carb (high-fat) diet, but isn’t as restrictive as the keto diet (less than

100 grams of carbs per day) (Joshi et al). Both of these diets lower glucose and insulin levels and

suppress appetite. On the other hand, a low carb diet limits fruits and some vegetables, which can

cause calciuria, bone loss, lead to cancers, promote inflammatory pathways, and other negative

side effects. This article specifically focused on an extremely low-carb diet and didn’t support

long term use, similar to the other sources.

Low-fat (high-carb) diets emphasize consuming carbohydrates and high fibers. Examples

include the Dean Ornish, which is essentially a vegetarian diet, and Pritikin diets, which includes

small amounts of low-fat animal protein (Joshi et al). These lower cholesterol, although this is

not seen to stay consistent over a long period of time. Insulin and glucose levels are also

lowered. A downside of these diets include compliance difficulty, since an extremely low

amount of fat is usually less appetizing. Very low calorie diets require less than 800 calories per

day. A study done by multiple authors from various scientific and medical institutions found that

multivitamins, potassium, adequate liquid intake, and dietary protein are necessary for this diet to
 Haverland 4

be effective. Normalization of liver fat content, weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and

low dropout rate were observed in a study (Joshi et al). Side effects include gallstones, ketosis,

and an increase in serum uric acid concentrations. It has not been established if these diets cause

micronutrient deficiency or the long term safety of them.

An article written by Harvard Health concluded balanced weight loss diets may be the

best route to go. Daniel Pendick is the executive author at Harvard Health, and received a

master’s in history of science and medicine. He has extensive knowledge in communication to

the public, but isn’t as knowledgeable in dieting and nutrition. Harvard Health articles appeal

more towards everyday people, while the published scholarly articles appeal to the scientific and

research community. The article claims the Mediterranian diet is a plant-based diet paired with

minimal amounts of red meat and moderately consumed dairy, sweets, and alcohol (Pendick).

The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, uses the food pyramid to diet. It is

similar to the Mediterranian diet as it focuses on generous amounts of fruits, vegetables, and

grains, but it is stricter when it comes to sodium and fats. Both promote good heart health, with

the DASH diet lowering blood pressure more effectively. Eating in a calorie deficit is proven to

cause weight loss, and both of these moderate diets are not restrictive enough to cause

compliance issues (Joshi et al). Shilpa Joshi and other authors agree with Harvard Health from

the standpoint that a moderate diet is the most effective way to lead a healthy lifestyle, but the

article from the Indian Journal of Medical Research does not mention the Mediteranean diet. The

Harvard Health article’s main claim was the Mediterranean and DASH diets are scientifically

proven to have health benefits, unlike other controversial diets. Joshi and others agree that

extreme diets are not the most effective way to lead a healthy lifestyle due to all of the side
 Haverland 5

effects and a moderate diet is a practical approach for everyday people, specifically referring to

Indian people and their increasingly overweight population.

Another Harvard Health article, written by credible Monique Tello (earned a Master's in

Public Health at the Johns Hopkins, ​graduated from Brown University and the University of

Vermont College of Medicine, completed a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency

training program at Yale), reveale​d that almost identical results came from either a low-fat or a

low-carb diet. The results of a study called DIETFITS (Diet Intervention Examining the Factors

Interacting with Treatment Success) was analyzed in the Harvard article. It falls in line with the

other two sources that a diet someone could maintain for life paired with healthy habits, such as

exercising and enough sleep, is the best diet to lead a healthy lifestyle. Further research needs to

be done on the long-term effects of diets, especially the extreme diets. It is difficult for research

to be done on this because it is hard for people to have adequate compliance with such a

restrictive diet. In conclusion, a moderate, healthy diet, such as the Mediterrean or DASH diet,

prove to be the best way to effectively lead a healthy lifestyle.

 Haverland 6

Works Cited

Bala, S.Santhosh, et al. “Evaluation of Effects of Ketogenic Diet among Gym Trainers and

Users.” ​Drug Invention Today,​ vol. 10, no. 6, June 2018, pp. 929–931. ​Academic Search

Complete​, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ashley_Scharnhorst/publication/3304515

08_Evaluation_of_effects_of_ketogenic_diet_among_gym_trainers_and_users/links/5c40

c3a6a6fdccd6b5b46e80/Evaluation-of-effects-of-ketogenic-diet-among-gym-trainers-and

-users.pdf. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

“The Best Way to Combat This Leading Cause of Death – Health and Wealth Bulletin.” ​Health

and Wealth Bulletin The Best Way to Combat This Leading Cause of Death Comments,​

Stansberry Research, healthandwealthbulletin.com/the-best-way-to-combat-this-leading-

cause-of-death/. Accessed 26 Apr. 2020.

Defty, Peter. “Habitual Diets.” ​Ultrarunning Magazine​, Ultrarunning Magazine, 19 Jan. 2018,

ultrarunning.com/features/health-and-nutrition/the-emerging- science-on-fat-adaptation/.

Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Dieting.” ​Encyclopædia Britannica​, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 27 Oct. 2017, www.britannica.com/science/dieting. Accessed 27 Mar.

2020.

Harvard Health Publishing. “How Two Healthy Diets Compare.” ​Harvard Health​, Harvard

University, Aug. 2015, www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/dash-or-mediter

ranean-which-diet-is-better-for-you. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

 Haverland 7

Harvard Health Publishing. “Scientifically Proven Diets That Work.” ​Harvard Health,​ Harvard

University, May 2015, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/scientifically-prov

en-diets-that-work. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

Harvard Health Publishing. “The Truth about Fats: the Good, the Bad, and the in-Between.”

Harvard Health, Feb. 2015, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-

bad-and-good. Accessed 26 Apr. 2020.

HHS Office. “Facts & Statistics.” HHS.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services, 26

Jan. 2017, www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/index.html. Accessed

27 Mar. 2020.

Joshi, Shilpa, and Viswanathan Mohan. “Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss

diets.” ​The Indian journal of medical research​ vol. 148,5 (2018): 642-647.

doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1793_18. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

“Keto vs. Low Carb” ​Macrofare​, Macrofare.com, 13 Sept. 2019, macrofare.com/hub/keto-diet/

keto-vs-low-carb/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

“Ketosis.” ​Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary​, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webst

er.com/dictionary/ketosis. Accessed 26 Apr. 2020.

Le, Stephen. ​100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today,​

2016. Print. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

 Haverland 8

Loughry, Suzanne. “The Paleo Diet: Pros and Cons According to NUNM.” ​National University

of Natural Medicine​, National University of Natural Medicine, 10 Apr. 2019,

nunm.edu/2019/04/paleo-diet/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

Mahdi, Ghanim Salih. “The Atkins diet controversy.” ​Annals of Saudi medicine​ vol. 26,3 (2006):

244-5. doi:10.5144/0256-4947.2006.244. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Atkins Diet: What's behind the Claims?” ​Mayo Clinic,​ Mayo Foundation for

Medical Education and Research, 16 Aug. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/

weight-loss/in-depth/atkins-diet/art-20048485. Accessed 26 Apr. 2020.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Choose Your Carbs Wisely.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical

Education and Research, 17 Apr. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-

and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705. Accessed 26 April, 2020.

Rolland, Catherine, and Iain Broom. “The Effects of Very-Low-Calorie Diets on HDL: A

Review.” ​Cholesterol​ vol. 2011 (2011): 306278. doi:10.1155/2011/306278. Accessed 27

Mar. 2020.

Segal, Eran. “What is the best diet for humans?” ​Youtube,​ uploaded by TEDx Talks, 20 July

2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z03xkwFbw4. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

Tello, Monique. “Which Diet Is Best for Long-Term Weight Loss?” ​Harvard Health,​ Harvard

Health Publishing, 27 Oct. 2019, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/weight-loss-for-life-th

e-dietfits-study-2018040913595. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

 Haverland 9

Tobias, Deirdre K et al. “Effect of low-fat diet interventions versus other diet interventions on

long-term weight change in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” ​The lancet.

Diabetes & endocrinology​ vol. 3,12 (2015): 968-79. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(15)003

67-8. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.

Willett, F Sacks et al. Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating, ​The

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,​ Volume 61, Issue 6, June 1995, Pages

1402S–1406S, ​https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/61.6.1402S​. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.