Download Low Carb Diets The idea that `toxins` interfere with weight loss

Low Carb Diets
The idea that ‘toxins’ interfere with weight loss originally came from studies on pesticides such as DDT
that accumulate in the ecosystem. It was found that when these chemicals accumulated in fat tissue, the
body tended to resist breaking down fats in that tissue. However, the idea of ‘toxins’ has been expanded
by the dieting industry to include all environmental toxins, metabolic wastes, and ‘chemicals’ found in
processed foods. Most ‘detox’ diets are untested and the companies that sell them fail to define what
‘toxins’ are or what ‘detox’ is. In reality, the body is very efficient in removing metabolic wastes. They do
not typically accumulate in the body tissue of healthy humans, and if they do it’s a sign of serious medical
problems that require hospitalization, not a diet. (www.sciencecases.org/atkins/notes.asp)
Answer each of the questions below. Since you’re asking to draw the basic structure of an amino
acid, please print out and hand in this assignment.
Janine claimed that eating too much protein and not enough carbs can ‘ruin your kidneys forever’
because in the process of breaking down proteins as sources of energy, nitrogen containing waste
products can hurt your kidneys. Evaluate Janine’s statement by responding to the following:
1. Why are low-carb diets so popular? What are the reported benefits of low or no-carb diets?
2. Would a low-carbohydrate diet result in the breakdown of proteins in your body? If so, why?
3. Draw the general structure of an amino acid, which is the building block of a protein. Make
sure to label your drawing.
4. Based on the structure of a protein, do you think Janine is correct in stating that nitrogencontaining waste products are produced when they are broken down in the body? Why or why
not?
5. Explore and briefly describe the role of the kidneys, liver, and lungs in ridding the body of
metabolic waste.
6. Does research indicate that a low-carb diet might damage healthy kidneys? Explain.
7. What type of diet would you recommend for an individual with existing kidney problems?
Why?