A high fibre diet, low in protein and fat, devised by a New York food writer, Nathan Pritikin. It was tested at the Longevity Research Institute, California as part of the treatment for heart patients.
Pritikin believed that we should keep our intake of salt, sugar, fats, and proteins to an absolute minimum. Coffee and tea are avoided, and alcohol greatly restricted. Consequently, the diet consists of 80 per cent unrefined carbohydrates, 10 per cent fats, and 10 per cent proteins. Because the diet consists mainly of vegetable material, you have to eat a large amount of food each day. To supply 700 Calories, about 2 kg (41b) of food are required. Pritikin also incorporated exercise plans in his weight-control programmes.
The Pritikin diet is generally regarded as nutritious but some people complain that the high fibre intake causes flatulence and makes them feel bloated. Others find the diet too bland and restrictive despite the wide range of recipes suggested in Pritikin's books (e.g. (1982) The Pritikin permanent weight-loss manual. Bantam Books). See also F-plan diet.
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Pritikin Diet
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Gale Encyclopedia of Diets:
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| KEY TERMS Cholesterol—a waxy substance made by the liver and also acquired through diet. High levels in the blood may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dietary fiber—also known as roughage or bulk. Insoluble fiber moves through the digestive system almost undigested and gives bulk to stools. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and helps keep stools soft. Fat-soluble vitamin—a vitamin that dissolves in and can be stored in body fat or the liver Fatty acids—complex molecules found in fats and oils. Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that the body needs but cannot synthesize. Essential fatty acids are made by plants and must be present in the diet to maintain health. Insulin—a hormone made by the pancreas that controls blood glucose (sugar) levels by moving excess glucose into muscle, liver, and other cells for storage. Obese—more than 20% over the individual’s ideal weight for their height and age or having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. Triglycerides—a type of fat found in the blood. High levels of triglycerides can increase the risk of coronary artery disease Type 2 diabetes—sometime called adult-onset diabetes, this disease prevents the body from properly using glucose (sugar), but can often be controlled with diet and exercise. |
Description
Function
Benefits
Precautions
Risks
Research and general acceptance
Resources
What is the Pritikin Diet?
The Pritikin diet is a heart-healthy high-carbohydrate, low-fat, moderate-exercise lifestyle diet developed in the 1960s. What are the Origins of the Pritikin Diet?
Nathan Pritikin, the originator of the Pritikin Diet, was diagnosed with heart disease at the age of 42. In the late 1950s when Pritikin was diagnosed, about 40% of calories in the average American diet came from fats. Pritikin was given little medical guidance on how lifestyle changes might slow his heart disease. Although educated as an engineer, Pritikin devised his own heart-healthy diet, which he followed rigorously. Based on his experience, he opened the Pritikin Longevity Center in Florida in 1975. Here people could come and immerse themselves for one or more weeks in the Pritikin Eating Plan. Pritikin’s diet came to national attention when Pritikin and Florida cardiologist David Lehr appeared in the CBS program “60 Minutes” in 1977. The Pritikin Diet soon became the most popular diet of the 1970s. Since that time, many research studies have been done to evaluate the effectiveness of the Pritikin Plan, the results of which have been published in mainstream, refereed medical journals. More than 75,000 people have experience the Plan at what is now the upscale Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa at the Turnberry Isle Yacht Club in Aventura, Florida. Millions of others have bought Pritikin’s books and tried the Plan.
Nathan Pritikin developed cancer and committed suicide in 1985 at the age of 69. At his autopsy, doctors discovered no signs of heart disease, a fact they attributed to his rigorous life-long adherence to his diet. Robert Pritikin, Nathan’s son, took over the Longevity Center enterprises after Nathan’s death. While maintaining the core of the original diet, Robert updated some of the concepts in his book The Pritikin Principle: The Calorie Density Solution. published in 2000.
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTOR
- Does my current lifestyle put me at high risk for developing heart disease?
- Do I need to go on a diet this rigorous, or can my goals be met on a more moderate diet?
- Is this diet safe for my entire family?
- Are there any sign or symptoms that might indicate a problem while on this diet?
- At what level of intensity is it appropriate for me to begin exercising?
- If one of your family members wanted to go on a diet, would you recommend this one
Diet Information:
Pritikin Diet |
Created by: Nathan Pritikin
The Pritikin Diet is a very low-fat, primarily vegetarian diet that is based on whole grains, fruits and vegetables, aimed to improve cardiovascular health as well as to lose weight. Processed foods such as pasta and white bread, animal proteins, eggs and most types of fats are eliminated in favor of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The revised Pritikin diet encourages the use of "healthy" fats high in omega-3 fatty acids in limited amounts. There is no calorie counting and no limit on approved foods.
The program was devised by Nathan Pritikin who had done research and discovered that moderate exercise combined with a diet low in fat and high in unrefined carbohydrates reversed his own heart disease, diagnosed in the late 1950's. He and his son Robert Pritikin conducted an extensive research study in conjunction with the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Long Beach, CA. There, World War II veterans experienced similar results. As a result of these tests, the Pritikin Longevity Center was opened, where clients eat approved foods and participate in a full exercise program designed to reduce risk of heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and several forms of cancer.
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Pritikin Diet |
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007) |
The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise was created by Nathan Pritikin. The book based on the diet became a best-seller and was entitled "The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise."
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Contents
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Overview
Pritikin was regarded as one of the major diet gurus of the early 1980s, a class which also included Dr. Robert Atkins, Gary Null, and Dr. Tarnower of the Scarsdale Diet.
The Pritikin Program was often described by Nathan Pritikin, its creator, as “mankind’s original meal plan.” That’s because the focus of the Pritikin diet is unprocessed or minimally processed straight-from-nature foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes (such as black beans and pinto beans), whole grains such as brown rice, starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams, lean meat, and seafood.
The Pritikin Program also emphasizes another key characteristic of humankind up until the last century: plenty of daily exercise, including at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise like brisk walking, weight training two to three times weekly, and stretching, optimally every day.
Book release
The book based on the diet became a best-seller on the New York Times Bestseller list and was entitled The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise, and was co-authored by Patrick M. McGrady. The recipes were written by June Roth.
Published by Grosset & Dunlap, the book sold more than 10 million copies in paperback and hardcover, and was on the New York Times Bestseller Top Ten list for more than 54 weeks.
Supporting research
In several studies published since 1975, scientists at UCLA and other research institutions have found the Pritikin Program effective in preventing the major diseases that afflict modern society, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. The Pritikin Program has been documented to improve cholesterol profiles better than cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins, and has also been found to lower blood sugars, normalize blood pressure, and shed excess weight.
- A meta-analysis of 864 type 2 diabetics found that 74% on oral medications left the Pritikin Longevity Center within three weeks free of these drugs, their blood sugars in normal ranges, and 44% on insulin left insulin-free.
- In this same article, another meta-analysis of 1,117 hypertensives found that 55% normalized blood pressure and no longer required anti-hypertensive drugs within three weeks of starting the Pritikin Program. The people in this study were not initially following the diet at home, they were studied before and after several weeks of a residential course where their meals were prepared. However, follow-up revealed that they had continued to follow the diet on returning home. While they had been suggested candidates for bypass surgery before the intervention, five years later the likelihood of them requiring coronary bypass had dramatically decreased.[1]
- In 2005 UCLA researchers studied the health indicators of overweight youngsters, ages 9 to 15, who participated in a two-week family program at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida. Finding that diet and exercise can improve not only the cholesterol levels of children but also a wide range of other biomarkers linked with heart disease. Researchers found improvements in insulin, triglycerides, blood sugar levels, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein and oxidative stress.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Roberts, Christian; Barnard, R. James (Jan 2005). "Effects of exercise and diet on chronic disease". Journal of Applied Physiology 98 (1): 3–30. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00852.2004. ISSN 8750-7587. PMID 15591300. http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/98/1/3. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
- ^ "UCLA Study Shows Diet/Exercise Program Greatly Improves Heart Health of Overweight Kids" (Press release). Apr 29, 2005. http://www.mywire.com/pubs/PRNewswire/2005/04/29/833561.
External links
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 | Oxford Food & Fitness Dictionary. Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Gale Encyclopedia of Diets. The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets © 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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