Zone diet

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The Zone diet is a popular diet emphasizing low-carbohydrate consumption. [1] [2] It was created by Barry Sears, an American biochemist. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

According to the National Institute of Health [NIH], in an article entitled The ZONE Diet and Metabolic Control in Type 2 Diabetes, published in 2015, adherence to The Zone Diet improved glycemic control, waist circumference, and silent inflammation in overweight or obese patients with Type II Diabetes. [6]

Approach

The diet is meant to promote weight loss via reduction in calories consumed and avoid spikes in insulin release, thus supporting the maintenance of insulin sensitivity. [4] [7] It begins with the determination of the individual's protein requirement for daily replacement due to various loss mechanisms. The diet then adjusts carbohydrate and fat intake based on the person’s energy needs and weight loss goalsThe Zone diet proposes that a relatively narrow distribution in the ratio of proteins to carbohydrates, centered at 0.75, is essential to "balance the insulin to glucagon ratio, which purportedly affects eicosanoid metabolism and ultimately produces a cascade of biological events leading to a reduction in chronic disease risk, enhanced immunity, maximal physical and mental performance, increased longevity and permanent weight loss." [1]

The diet advocates eating five times a day, with 3 meals and 2 snacks, and includes eating proteins, carbohydrates – those with a lower glycemic index are considered more favorable, and fats (monounsaturated fats are considered healthier) in a caloric ratio of 30%-40%-30% (fat-carb-pro). The hand is used as the mnemonic tool; five fingers for five times a day, with no more than five hours between meals. The size and thickness of the palm are used to measure protein while two big fists measure favorable carbohydrates and one fist unfavorable carbohydrates. There is a more complex scheme of "Zone blocks" and "mini-blocks" that followers of the diet can use to determine the ratios of macronutrients consumed. Daily exercise is encouraged. [5]

The diet falls about midway in the continuum between the USDA-recommended food pyramid which advocates eating grains, vegetables, and fruit and reducing fat, and the high-fat Atkins Diet. [7]

Effectiveness

In 2015, the National Institute of Health published findings that The Zone Diet is effective in improveing Glycemic Control, Waist Circumference, and Silent Inflammation in Overweight or Obese patients with Type 2 Diabetes. [6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Cheuvront SN (February 2003). "The Zone Diet phenomenon: a closer look at the science behind the claims". J Am Coll Nutr. 22 (1): 9–17. PMID   12569110.
  2. ↑ DeBruyne L, Pinna K, Whitney E (2011). "Chapter 7: Nutrition in practice — Fad Diets". Nutrition and Diet Therapy. Cengage Learning. p. 209. ISBN   978-1-133-71550-4. a fad diet by any other name would still be a fad diet. And the names are legion: the Atkins Diet, the Cheater's Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet. Year after year, "new and improved" diets appear ...{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Bijlefeld M, Zoumbaris SK (2014). "Sears, Barry". Encyclopedia of Diet Fads: Understanding Science and Society (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. pp. 190–191. ISBN   978-1-61069-760-6.
  4. 1 2 Baron M (October 2004). "Fighting obesity Part 1: Review of popular low-carb diets". Health Care Food Nutr Focus. 21 (10): 1, 3–6, 11. PMID   15493377.
  5. 1 2 Baron M (October 2004). "The Zone Diet". Health Care Food Nutr Focus. 21 (10): 8–9, 11. PMID   15493380.
  6. 1 2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26400433/ The ZONE Diet and Metabolic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Thomas M Stulnig. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015.. "Counseling a protein-enriched and low-glycemic-index diet supplemented with long-chain omega-3 PUFAs in a real-life clinical setting improved glycemic control, waist circumference, and silent inflammation in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes."
  7. 1 2 Lara-Castro C, Garvey WT (September 2004). "Diet, insulin resistance, and obesity: zoning in on data for Atkins dieters living in South Beach". J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 89 (9): 4197–205. doi:10.1210/jc.2004-0683. PMID   15356006.
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