Modern nutrition

The article in The Times (May 21) giving the opinions of Yvette Azzopardi, in which she warns the "dangers" of the Atkins diet, goes a long way in reinforcing my belief that some institutions are still narrow-minded when it comes to such a vast and misunderstood science as is modern nutrition. Certain statements she makes seem to be coming from nutrition books of the early 1980s.

The food pyramid as advocated by Ms Azzopardi has been and will continue to be proven as a complete disaster. Just look at the rates of obesity and heart disease in Malta and most modern societies. If the food pyramid is of any use, modern day diseases would have at least remained contained.

But have they? Everybody knows that it has failed miserably. That is why people are deciding that they should try something new, drastic even, in order to try and live a healthy and weight controlled lifestyle. The Atkins diet delivers exactly what it promises to those who follow it, that is, weight loss combined with a general feeling of well being.

Most modern research that I read has started to compare fats and proteins versus carbohydrates. The results speak for themselves. In the past it was assumed that carbohydrates had no negative effects on the human body except for weight gain if taken in excess. Research is repeatedly showing that this is far from the truth, that excess carbohydrates over many years leads to a slow but inevitable breakdown of the human vital organs secondary to the release of massive amounts of the hormone insulin, the end result of which are most modern day diseases, now affecting even children! Ms Azzopardi says: "One cannot stick to such a diet for too long because it is not normal".

So how did our ancestors, most of whom were hunter gatherers, survive and thrive for thousands of years on wildebeest and the fruits of the land? Remember that farming and consuming so many plant foods such as wheat and all its derivatives is a recent addition to our diet, in evolutionary terms. Ms Azzopardi, go tell the Eskimos that they cannot survive on seal meat, whale and fish for too long.

They would probably ask you to explain to us why was it that Eskimos had the lowest incidence of cardiovascular disease in the world. They might be consuming mega-doses of omega 3 but do you also realise that their diet is extremely limited in carbohydrates as well? Recent clinical trials are confirming that this is not a coincidence but a biological confirmation of how well the body thrives on normal amounts of proteins and fats and the minimum amount of carbohydrates. The Atkins diet suppresses appetite so much that the notion of followers of the Atkins diet gobbling massive amounts of meats daily is ridiculous.

Proof of any renal diseases directly related to high protein consumption, as stated by Ms Azzopardi, is extremely scarce to find and unreliable. Diabetic centres abroad are recommending that the food pyramid as advocated by Ms Azzopardi be revised.

Why is this happening? As with every science, we need to keep abreast of the latest advances. The Atkins diet is one of those revolutionary advances.