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High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets may not be the answer for overweight women.
With more and more American women battling weight problems, diets that promise quick weight loss would seem to be the perfect solution. That's at the core of high-protein/low-carbohydrate diets popular in the 1960s and 1970s and enjoying a resurgence today.
Yet questions are now being raised about possible health hazards related to these diets. Consider these points:
High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets may trigger ketosis, an accumulation of ketone bodies (acetone) in body tissues and fluids frequently associated with acidosis. Ketosis results from incomplete metabolism of fatty acids, generally from carbohydrate deficiency or inadequate utilization. Although the effects of ketosis depend on the woman's body mass, genetics,...