Shoppers inspect dairy products at a supermarket. [Yonhap Photo]
South Korean medical societies issued a rare joint warning Wednesday against a new diet program based on low carbohydrates and high fat, saying it could cause serious cardiovascular disorders and malnutrition.
The so-called "Low Carb, High Fat' (LCHF)" diet has become a new fad especially among young people who want a slim and beautiful body line. The daily consumption of carbohydrates should be cut to less than ten percent of total calories with the consumption of fat going up to 70 percent.
Five medical societies including the Korean Endocrine Society and the Korean Diabetes Association said in a joint statement that LCHF could seriously damage health.
Opposing LCHF as an abnormal way of consuming food, they insisted it would be useful for a short-term loss of weight but there would be no long-term effect.
The medical societies said the new method could raise the rate of LDL cholesterol, also known as "bad cholesterol" and increase the chance of cardiovascular disorders. "Also, an unbalanced diet could cause malnutrition and the decreased consumption of fibers."
LCHF has been recommended by some people as an "easy diet" since it does not necessarily require exercises. They've posted daily changes in their body and weight to prove the effectiveness of the LCHF diet which has led to the shortage of butter supply in supermarkets.
Supporters of the LCHF diet have defied any medical warnings. "I've lost eight kilograms (17 pounds) during the first month of the LCHF diet," Park Min-Ki, a 33-year old businessman, told Aju News.
"I was at the early stage of diabetes and diagnosed with high blood pressure. Two months after I embarked on the LCHF diet, my blood sugar level and blood pressure returned to normal. I will stick to this diet for a little longer because I feel healthier."
Aju News Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
