Year: 1970
Overview:
11 subjects were prescribed a diet of 300-600ml of milk and as much meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, margarine, cream and leafy vegetables as they wished. The amount of carbohydrate in other food was limited to not more than 50g.
Average energy intake was ~ 1,560 calories per day, a 67% reduction of baseline calories. Subjects did not complain of hunger, some reporting increased well-being and better energy. One subject very well represented the mean reduced total intake to 65%, but still consumed 90% of the usual protein, and over 100% of most nutrients as a baseline diet. The exception was calcium which also reduced to 61% in line with total intake, whereas if macronutrient composition were kept static at this level of energy intake it would result in reduction to ~ 65% in nutrients across the board.
The low carbohydrate diet presents no health hazard, either generally or in regard to its nutritional value. The nutrient content is appreciably higher than could be achieved by a diet in which the same caloric reduction was effected by a general restriction in all foods.
