JCL roundtable: Low-carbohydrate diets

Jackie L Boucher; Carol F Kirkpatrick; David S Ludwig; John R Guyton

doi:10.1016/j.jacl.2020.08.003

JCL roundtable: Low-carbohydrate diets

J Clin Lipidol. 2020 Jul-Aug;14(4):384-395. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2020.08.003.

Authors

Jackie L Boucher¹, Carol F Kirkpatrick², David S Ludwig³, John R Guyton⁴

Affiliations

¹ President of Children's HeartLink, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
² Wellness Center Director, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA.
³ Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: john.guyton@duke.edu.

PMID: 32921363
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacl.2020.08.003

Abstract

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.

Keywords: carbohydrate-insulin model; ketogenic diet; low carbohydrate diets.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted*
Humans