The Zone Diet Health Article

Side effects

Dr. Sears states there are few or no side effects associated with his diet. However, many nutritional experts disagree. The Zone diet requires an intake of carbohydrates below the minimum nutritional daily requirements (100–120 g) agreed upon by most health experts. This deficiency can lead to several health risks such as cardiac problems, ketosis, and orthostatic hypotension (temporarily lowered blood pressure, usually from standing up quickly, causing temporary blood flow reduction and lack of oxygen to the brain, then lightheadedness and sometimes loss of consciousness). Mineral and vitamin deficiencies caused by low carbohydrate consumption may increase the risk of numerous diseases. The diet's high protein intake places added stress on kidney functions, increasing the risk of gout, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and kidney damage. One researcher, Sachiko St. Jeor, and colleagues concluded that dieters following diets like the Zone are potentially at risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Research & general acceptance

Although the Zone diet is not as strongly criticized as most high protein/low carbohydrate diets, few health organizations and nutritionists endorse it. Indeed, organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association have publicly disagreed with the 40/30/30 plan. Most experts note the Zone diet's lack of scientific credibility, either claiming that the majority of Dr. Sears' observations and findings are supported by poorly controlled studies, unproven theories, non-validated results, and half-truths, or that the majority of published scientific research points to the detrimental effects of the Zone rather than to its health benefits. The long-term effects of the Zone diet have not been fully researched; therefore, the diet's long-term health benefits and risks are still undefined.

Training & certification

There is no formal training or certification required for the Zone diet. As Dr. Sears stated, "All you need [to start on the diet] is one hand and one eye."

BOOKS

Sears, Barry. The Zone. New York: Harper-Collins, 1995.

Sears, Barry. Mastering the Zone. New York: Regan Books, 1997.

PERIODICALS

Cheuvront, Samuel. "The Zone Diet and Athletic Performance." Sports Medicine (April 2000): 289–294.

Cheuvront, Samuel. "The Zone Diet Phenomenon: A Closer Look at the Science behind the Claims." Journal of the American College of Nutrition (February, 2003): 9–17.

Coleman, Ellen. "The BioZone Nutrition System: A Dietary Panacea?" International Journal of Sports Nutrition (March, 1996): 19–21.

Jarvis, Mark, Alan Seddon, Lars McNaughton, and Dylan Thompson. "The Acute 1-Week Effects of the Zone Diet on Body Composition, Blood Lipid Levels, and Performance in Recreational Endurance Athletes." The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. (February 2002):50–57.

Kendall, Pat. "Zoning in on the Zone." Nutrition News (September 1997).

St. Jeor, Sachiko, Barbara Howard, Elaine Prewitt, Vicki Bovee, Terry Bazzarre, and Robert Eckel. "Dietary Protein and Weight Reduction." Circulation (October 2001): 1869–1874.

OTHER

Babal, Ken. "The Zone: Sound Advice or Just Another Diet?" [cited June 13, 2004]. <http://www.healthwell.com/hnbreakthroughs/feb98/thezonediet.cfm>.

"Introduction to the Zone." Zone Perfect [cited June 13, 2004]. <http://www.zoneperfect.com>.

McDougall, John. "The Great Debate: High vs. Low Protein Diets" [cited June 13, 2004]. <http://www.drmcdougall.com/debate.html>.

Sears, Barry. "Zone Diet." DrSears.com [cited June 13, 2004]. <http://www.drsears.com>.

"Spending a Week in the Zone with Barry Sears, Ph.D." WebMD Health [cited June 13, 2004]. <http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1/1700_50101>.

"The Zone Diet." Healthwell.com [cited June 13, 2004]. <http://www.healthwell.com/healthnotes.cfm?ContentID=1069001>.

"The Zone Diet." Weight-loss Institute [cited June 13, 2004]. <http://www.weight-loss-institute.com/zone_diet.htm>.

Lee Ann Paradise