In a message dated 9/17/00 3:39:02 PM, LDenise LePage <[log in to unmask] writes: << I do not think that carb restriction produces any physical withdrawal symptoms. Carbohydrates are not drugs. Caffeine is. Anyone who has been addicted to caffeine knows the headaches that withdrawal brings. Most people who have eaten carbohydrates all their lives have no withdrawal symptoms when starting low-carb diets, other than those caused by mineral loss due to the diuretic nature of low carb, and perhaps psychological cravings. >> The physical symptoms from carbohydrate withdrawal are very real indeed, and they can be caused by far more than just mineral loss. Those suffering from hypoglycemia, or insulin resistance, can suffer from miserable headaches, fatigue, muscle weakness, extreme irritability, mental confusion, and a host of other symptoms not too dissimilar to those a diabetic might suffer from if his blood sugar dropped too low. In addition, there is the complication of food allergy and sensitivity. If a person is allergic to wheat or chocolate, for example, and goes on a "cold turkey" low carb diet, the symptoms can be multiplied by withdrawing from a substance that he is allergic or sensitive to, in addition to the sudden drop in blood sugar levels caused by carbohydrate restriction until the blood sugar levels stabilize. Furthermore, sugar is so refined that far larger quantities can be ingested than could ever be eaten in its natural state, acting in some cases just like a drug. All this information can be verified from any of the numerous authors writing about low carb dieting or food allergies, including Atkins, Eades, Mandell, Phillpot, etc. Maddy Mason Hudson Valley, NY