Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Paging Dr. Gupta: Low Carb Diets

Aired January 23, 2004 - 08:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After getting squeezed by the low carb diet craze, Florida citrus growers are fighting back. They have launched a million-dollar marketing campaign to convince low carb consumers that orange juice belongs in their diet regimen.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us this morning with more.

Actually, orange juice is a big no-go if you are starting off on Atkins and some other diets as well.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And that really strikes at the heart of this issue. And you know they don't have to fight too hard at this marketing campaign, because even the low carb proponents say that there is a lot of healthful value to oranges. There's a lot of nutrients, things like that.

But you struck at the heart of it, Soledad. We are talking about the sugar in the orange juice. That's the concern. A lot of these low carb diets are predicated on very low sugar diets.

I'm going to read you a couple of quotes here now from both South Beach and the Atkins Diet, because these are important and sort of explain their position on this, which has become pretty contentious.

South Beach Diet, first of all, "There are good nutrients in O.J." They concede that. "You can get those in any number of ways without having to take in all that sugar that also comes along for the ride in processed juice. Fresh squeezed is somewhat better, because it has fiber, that pulp that slows the absorption of the fructose." Dr. Arthur Agatston, who is the author of the South Beach Diet, got in a little bit of trouble because he likened orange juice to cola saying they are both similar in terms of the amount of sugar.

Atkins Diet, the other big diet, as well, what do they have to say about orange juice specifically. They address this as well. But they are going to say they "don't think it's unhealthy. It's high in antioxidants and Vitamin C and is a fine choice during the pre- maintenance and maintenance periods of the Atkins Diet."

But for those of you that know the Atkins Diet, before that you get to those periods, there's an induction phase, two weeks, no carbs, orange juice not on the diet. They go on to say that orange juice is a processed food, has a lot of sugar, could be, in some ways, empty calories, which is their concern, but a contentious issue.

O'BRIEN: But it has a lot of nutrients, too. So outside of Vitamin C, what everybody knows about is in orange juice, what else is in there and how do you get those nutrients, which everyone would admit are all really important, without getting the sugar?

GUPTA: Right, good points, because orange juice does have a lot of nutrients. It's sort of one-stop shopping as far as nutrients go.

Take a look at the list. You already mentioned Vitamin C, Soledad. Antioxidants, as well. You and I talked a lot about this and the benefits of antioxidants, folic acid for pregnant women important, potassium, all their beneficial phytochemicals.

The ADA, the American Dietetic Association, will speak about orange juice, talk about the value of orange juice in a diet. And this is what they say, 100 percent juice is going to be best. If you are drinking juice, drink 100 percent juice. The more colorful the better, if you are getting the fresh squeezed kind. But drink sparingly, a half cup to a cup a day is probably enough.

Whole fruit, though, always, Soledad, provides better in terms of those nutrients. There are supplements that are going to give you these things as well, to answer your question. You don't have to go to orange juice necessarily, but orange juice is probably going to be better as far as one-stop shopping goes.

O'BRIEN: But if you are going low carb, you have to cut out the sugar, right?

GUPTA: You do.

O'BRIEN: I mean that's carbs.

GUPTA: I mean that's really what they are sort of getting at here. And could you sort of slowly reintroduce things like orange juice, reintroduce other carbs? The Atkins folks say yes.

Compare orange juice and cola, that's what Dr. Agatston did. Just, I think this really puts it -- highlights it for people. Here are the calories, orange juice, not from concentrate 170. Cola, this is Coca-Cola, the regular kind, 140 calories. Look at the sugars and carbs, that's what everyone pays attention to, they are both higher in the orange juice. So you know when you are thinking about the low carb diet, you are thinking about that induction phase, you are thinking about dropping weight, those are the numbers that you get with orange juice versus Coke.

O'BRIEN: Drink water.

GUPTA: Water is good, yes.

O'BRIEN: And if you are not done -- on Atkins, which a zillion people are not, enjoy your orange juice.

GUPTA: That's right. Exactly.

O'BRIEN: All right. Sanjay, thank you.

GUPTA: Take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 23, 2004 - 08:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After getting squeezed by the low carb diet craze, Florida citrus growers are fighting back. They have launched a million-dollar marketing campaign to convince low carb consumers that orange juice belongs in their diet regimen.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us this morning with more.

Actually, orange juice is a big no-go if you are starting off on Atkins and some other diets as well.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And that really strikes at the heart of this issue. And you know they don't have to fight too hard at this marketing campaign, because even the low carb proponents say that there is a lot of healthful value to oranges. There's a lot of nutrients, things like that.

But you struck at the heart of it, Soledad. We are talking about the sugar in the orange juice. That's the concern. A lot of these low carb diets are predicated on very low sugar diets.

I'm going to read you a couple of quotes here now from both South Beach and the Atkins Diet, because these are important and sort of explain their position on this, which has become pretty contentious.

South Beach Diet, first of all, "There are good nutrients in O.J." They concede that. "You can get those in any number of ways without having to take in all that sugar that also comes along for the ride in processed juice. Fresh squeezed is somewhat better, because it has fiber, that pulp that slows the absorption of the fructose." Dr. Arthur Agatston, who is the author of the South Beach Diet, got in a little bit of trouble because he likened orange juice to cola saying they are both similar in terms of the amount of sugar.

Atkins Diet, the other big diet, as well, what do they have to say about orange juice specifically. They address this as well. But they are going to say they "don't think it's unhealthy. It's high in antioxidants and Vitamin C and is a fine choice during the pre- maintenance and maintenance periods of the Atkins Diet."

But for those of you that know the Atkins Diet, before that you get to those periods, there's an induction phase, two weeks, no carbs, orange juice not on the diet. They go on to say that orange juice is a processed food, has a lot of sugar, could be, in some ways, empty calories, which is their concern, but a contentious issue.

O'BRIEN: But it has a lot of nutrients, too. So outside of Vitamin C, what everybody knows about is in orange juice, what else is in there and how do you get those nutrients, which everyone would admit are all really important, without getting the sugar?

GUPTA: Right, good points, because orange juice does have a lot of nutrients. It's sort of one-stop shopping as far as nutrients go.

Take a look at the list. You already mentioned Vitamin C, Soledad. Antioxidants, as well. You and I talked a lot about this and the benefits of antioxidants, folic acid for pregnant women important, potassium, all their beneficial phytochemicals.

The ADA, the American Dietetic Association, will speak about orange juice, talk about the value of orange juice in a diet. And this is what they say, 100 percent juice is going to be best. If you are drinking juice, drink 100 percent juice. The more colorful the better, if you are getting the fresh squeezed kind. But drink sparingly, a half cup to a cup a day is probably enough.

Whole fruit, though, always, Soledad, provides better in terms of those nutrients. There are supplements that are going to give you these things as well, to answer your question. You don't have to go to orange juice necessarily, but orange juice is probably going to be better as far as one-stop shopping goes.

O'BRIEN: But if you are going low carb, you have to cut out the sugar, right?

GUPTA: You do.

O'BRIEN: I mean that's carbs.

GUPTA: I mean that's really what they are sort of getting at here. And could you sort of slowly reintroduce things like orange juice, reintroduce other carbs? The Atkins folks say yes.

Compare orange juice and cola, that's what Dr. Agatston did. Just, I think this really puts it -- highlights it for people. Here are the calories, orange juice, not from concentrate 170. Cola, this is Coca-Cola, the regular kind, 140 calories. Look at the sugars and carbs, that's what everyone pays attention to, they are both higher in the orange juice. So you know when you are thinking about the low carb diet, you are thinking about that induction phase, you are thinking about dropping weight, those are the numbers that you get with orange juice versus Coke.

O'BRIEN: Drink water.

GUPTA: Water is good, yes.

O'BRIEN: And if you are not done -- on Atkins, which a zillion people are not, enjoy your orange juice.

GUPTA: That's right. Exactly.

O'BRIEN: All right. Sanjay, thank you.

GUPTA: Take care.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com