The core of Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet is his statement that high insulin levels make us fat. According to Dr Sears we have to think about food as a drug, a drug we take several times each day of our lives. We must learn to use it in balancing insulin and glucagon levels.

Once you have achieved that balance, says Dr Sears, you will benefit from a better physical and mental condition. If you are an athlete, the Zone diet will improve your performances. If you are a type II diabetic or a high cardiovascular risk, Zone diet puts you in the green zone. Apparently, there is nothing that the Zone diet cannot do for your general health. Sears goes as far as recommending Zone diet for children, as it will be much easier for them to adhere to a “balanced” diet than for adults.

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Disagreeing with Dr. Sears, many physicians claim there is no sufficient medical research to sustain the Zone theory. In the Zone, a rather new diet, there is no evidence about its long-time effects upon health. People who want to try it should keep in mind several aspects:

• The Zone diet limits some foods that provide the human body with important vitamins and minerals (vitamin D and calcium). This indicates the Zone may not be appropriate at all for pregnant and breast-feeding women, and children. In the long term, it may lead to the risk of osteoporosis.
• The Zone diet is labeled a “low carb diet” which may diminish the consumption of fiber and have several severe consequences in the long term, perhaps involving the colon.
• Although Dr. Sears does not recommend saturated fats, many recipes advertised as “Zone meals” are high in saturated fats. Pay attention to meals provided by home delivery services: if they use saturated fats, the 40-30-30 ratio leads to approximately 20% of the total calorie intake coming from saturated fat. The recommended ratio is barely 8. Once again, Zone meals are not safe for people with a high risk of heart disease.
• For athletes, the main risk is a decrease of glycogen in muscle tissues. This causes lack of energy, decreased performances and dehydration. (Glycogen is stored with water.)
• The theory behind the Zone diet tries to conceal the limitation of calorie intake. The main risk is prolonged starvation which leads to ketosis. In the short term there are no side effects, but in the long term the kidneys are damaged.

The effects of the Zone diet, especially on unhealthy people or on those with special needs, has given rise to highly controversial opinions. At the same time, many experts agree that Dr. Sears' dietary program is a step ahead from other "fad" diets. It encourages the consumption of raw and fresh fruits, and vegetables. Nevertheless, Dr. Sears has yet to show us any research. When he talks about the Zone's effects on improving health, he goes too far.

Original Zone Diet is now online - Start losing weight today!

In other articles, we have analyzed a number of categories with special dietary needs: athletes, children, pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, vegetarians.