We’ve all heard the phrase “if it’s too good to be true—it probably is.” This statement is
important to remember when it comes to some of the fad diets that are floating around these days. There are many of them. Paleo, Blood Type, Keto and Intermittent Fasting—just to name a few. But do they really work? Are they healthy? Are they safe?

I recently participated in a training called “Fad Diets: Separating Fact from Fiction” or separating the “truth from the noise.” The presenter was Basheerah Enahora, Ph.D., RDN. Dr. Enahora is an Associate Professor from NC State and an Extension Specialist in Nutrition with N.C. Cooperative Extension. She helped sort out some of these eating plans and shared pros and cons.

Enahora started the training by laying a foundation of good nutrition. She stressed that eating whole foods in a minimally processed form provides the best nutritional benefits. While single nutrients (fats, protein and carbohydrates) along with vitamins, minerals and water are necessary, it’s the entire food that’s essential because of other components such as phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber.

1. Are any food groups missing? You shouldn’t eliminate these foundations of a heathy diet. Any diet that purposely removes one food group from your diet should put up a “red flag” that it’ll be lacking in some essential nutrients.
2. Does the diet plan suggest eating only one food (like watermelon or cabbage)? This isn’t nutritionally adequate. It’s hard to get needed vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients by eating only one food.
3. Could you maintain this eating plan for a long time? Will it get boring. Will it be hard to follow in social situations? Does it teach good eating habits?
4. Is it dangerous? Will it impact your health long term? Will it increase your risk of heart disease or dementia?
5. Does it have any scientific evidence to show that it works? Look at the research, not just the testimonials. Also look at the researchers, what is their training and backgrounds.
6. Does it include physical activity? Exercise, movement and physical activity are critical to health.

The Paleo Diet. This plan is very low in carbohydrates and high in protein with moderate fat.

Research shows that a person can have some weight loss and short-term improvements in cholesterol and blood pressure when on this diet. This is a hard diet to sustain long-term and has a high dropout rate. It is a high-risk diet for people with diabetes.

The Keto Diet is low in carbohydrates with moderate proteins and high in fat. This plan can be challenging for people with diabetes. But it may be helpful for people with epileptic seizures, brain injury or Parkinson’s Disease. You can lose weight on this diet because it produces ketones that convert fat to energy. Compared to low-fat and low- diet carb diets, people eating this diet feel full longer and thus eat less food. These diets can cause a rapid drop in blood sugars, increase in kidney stones and potential increase in cholesterol risk.

The blood type diet proposes that people have different nutritional needs based on their blood type. Researchers found that this diet does have some benefits, but it’s not related to blood type. The benefit appears to be that people eat more whole foods. Concerns? It can be expensive, and people may not be getting enough fiber.

Intermittent fasting restricts the person’s eating window or time to eat. One of these
encourages eating just every other day. Another proposes eating only for an eight-hour window and then not eating for the remaining 16 hours every day. There has been limited research on these diets, but those that have been done show that people who practice intermittent fasting do lose weight. Results have also shown that fasters have a reduced appetite, improved LDL cholesterol numbers and reduced triglycerides. The major problem with these plans is that they are hard to sustain long term.

Seeking a quick solution may be “too good to be true”. Think of your overall health and make some comparisons before making any diet decisions.

Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member for the N.C. Cooperative Extension in Brunswick County. She can be reached at 910-253-2610 or by email at clsyracu@ncsu.edu.