Beware the Low-Carb Mania!

We don't often jump on a bandwagon, especially when the wagon contains more hype than science. Such is the case with the low-carb/no-carb "revolution." The degree to which marketers have grabbed on to the trend is mind-boggling. You can now find entire groceries devoted to low-carbohydrate processed foods. The Internet has more low-carb Web sites than you want to count. Fast-food chains, which have never had a reputation for nutritional concern, are flying the low-carb banner.

And the hype will linger, at least until consumers realize it's just another way to redirect their hard-earned income.
Without getting into the debate over whether lowering the carbohydrate content of your diet makes sense for weight-control or general health, we thought you might like to know what some manufacturers are doing to make it look as though their products contain fewer carbohydrates:

• They replace refined wheat flour with soy flour, which is higher in protein, soy protein or wheat protein.

   

• They add extra fiber, such as wheat bran, oat bran or other fiber, which in and of itself is not a bad thing.

   

• They add high-fat ingredients like nuts (again, not so terrible since nuts are good food, containing healthy fats).

   

• They replace sugar with sugar alcohols (malitol, lactitol or sorbitol) or artificial sweeteners (this has been done for years with sugarless candy).

   

• Beer manufacturers use certain chemicals in the brewing process to reduce carbohydrates in the brew; the end result, however, is the same as a "lite" beer.

None of these changes is unhealthy, but consumers, too eager to believe that carbohydrates are evil, forget their math. In order to lose one pound, you must have an overall deficit of 3,500 calories. If people lose weight on low-carb diets, it's because they are consuming fewer calories or expending more calories through exercise.

Reformulating food products so they're higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates isn't likely to change a calorie count. Protein and carbohydrates both have 4 calories per gram. And when you substitute fat for carbohydrates, you may actually increase the number of calories -- because fat has 9 calories per gram.

But some new products don't contain fewer carbs at all; their labels have simply been manipulated to make it look that way. Rather than reporting total carbohydrates, some manufacturers don't list fiber and sugar alcohols. They call the new total "net impact carbs" or "effective carbs."

The somewhat disingenuous logic behind this is that since fiber and sugar alcohols don't seem to affect blood sugar in the same way other carbs do, they don't count. In other words, if a food has 12 grams of total carbs, but 7 grams are fiber, it only has 5 "net impact carbs." However, if you check the label, you'll find that in some cases the first ingredient is still flour or another grain product.

Here are three examples of how this wording can keep you from being able to make accurate comparisons between low-carb foods and conventional ones:

• A slice of "low-carb" Atkins bread has 60 calories and 8 grams of total carbs, though it claims to have only 3 "net impact" carbs. A slice of conventional diet bread (just made smaller and with more air) has 50 calories and 10 grams of carbs.

   

• A low-carb chocolate bar (1 ounce) has 155 calories and 12 grams of fat, but no sugar. It claims to have only 1 "net impact" carb. A regular 1-ounce bar has 150 calories and 10 grams of fat. Now why would you want the low-carb bar?

   

• A 12-ounce can of Michelob Ultra (low-carb) beer has 95 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs. Miller Lite and Coors Lite (which have been on the market for years) have only 96 and 102 calories and 3.2 and 5 grams of carbs, respectively. The biggest difference between the Michelob and the other products is the label and usually the price.

The FDA has not set standards for labeling something "low carb" in the way that it has for low-fat foods. But defining nutrients according to the effect they have on blood sugar is fraught with problems. And there is little evidence to support the theory that carbohydrates will cause more weight gain than other nutrients.

If money is not an issue for you, there's nothing wrong with any of these products, but our research shows that in most cases there is a huge premium to be paid. One breakfast cereal waving the low-carb banner cost four times as much as regular cereal. A loaf of low-carb bread can cost twice as much as most regular breads.

Our advice is to be aware of the marketing targeting your food budget. These "low-carb" foods are no better for you than regular foods and will cost you a great deal more. Use that money to buy more fruits and vegetables and other fresh, wholesome foods. Portion control and sensible food choices will accomplish far more at a lower price.

Sheldon Margen, M.D., is a professor of public health at the University of California at Berkeley. Dale A. Ogar is managing editor of the University of California at Berkeley "Wellness Letter." They are the authors of "Wellness Kitchen Cookbook," "The Simply Healthy Lowfat Cookbook," "The Wellness Lowfat Cookbook" and "The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition."