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