The Dukan Diet plan has once again grabbed some significant headlines as a court in France has ruled its verdict in favor of a nutritionist who has deemed this most popular diet plan “Dangerous”.
It all started when the founder of the Dukan diet, French nutritionist Pierre Dukan, sued his counterpart, Dr. Jean Micheal Cohen, who placed negative remarks against the diet plan in one of the online health blogs.
It must be mentioned that the Dukan Diet currently stands as the bestseller non-fiction book in both the US and UK and came up as the bestselling book in France last year.
Numerous celebrities, including some big names like Kate Middleton, Jennifer Lopez, and Gisele Bundchen, have previously said to be practicing this diet to get that fantastic body shape.
Significant Aspects of the Dukan Diet Plan
The Dukan diet
Looking at the significant aspects of the Dukan diet plan, it initiates with the ‘attack phase ‘where the person is only permitted to eat proteins along with oat bran.
The next phase may allow you to add some starchy veggies alongside and by the last phase, stabilization, you can go back to your regular diet with a “protein-only” day in the week.
It must also be mentioned that you must perform some light to heavy exercises depending on your fitness and weight loss goals.
You must stay away from starchy foods and must abide by the 100 foods listed in the Dukan diet list. Well, this is something which has made it one of the most popular diet plans currently.
Pierre Dukan vs Jean Michael Cohen: How did it all start?
Jean Michael Cohen, who himself comes as one of the renowned nutritionists in France, claimed earlier that the very famous “ Dukan diet’ can bring up some significant health issues for its practitioners.
Cohen quoted these words in one of the interviews given to a French health magazine and he stated that the Dukan diet may lead to some severe health issues like Breast cancer, cardiovascular issues, and a sudden rise in cholesterol.
He also stated that the Dukan diet may leave you in line with your weight loss goals for some time, but you will eventually regain the same weight after getting off the diet plan.
Moreover, the person practicing the Dukan diet may experience high fatigue, restlessness, weakness, joint pains, and many other issues.
This statement didn’t go well with Pierre Dukan, who has always backed the Dukan diet as the “next big thing ‘in health and fitness.
She ultimately sued Dr. Cohen for 15,000 Euros (approx $16,000).
His lawyer, Sebastian Dufay, told the court in Paris that his client is highly disappointed and annoyed after hearing the claims by Dr. Cohen while quoting the Dukan diet as ‘Dangerous for the French population”.
The lawyer also stated that Pierre Dukan has, by now, sold millions of copies of his 20 books related to the famous slimming formula and numerous people have benefited from the same in the process.
It was also said that Pierre Dukan is not after any big profits or fame and she only wants millions of people to benefit from her proven diet formula.
On the other side, Richard Malka, the lawyer for Mr. Cohen, vehemently claimed that the Dukan diet plan is a ‘reverse fairy tale” and you will eventually regain all the extra weight you might have lost while being on the diet plan earlier.
Was there a detailed Study behind the claims made by Dr. Cohen?
It must be mentioned that the claims made by Dr. Cohen have been backed by a detailed study of around 5000 people who were on the Dukan diet.
There was an online survey conducted on these ‘ Dukanians” where almost 80 percent of the people stated that they had regained the lost weight in the past 4 years.
Quite Interestingly, Pierre Dukan claimed this figure is “exaggerated “and the percentage was only around 40 percent.
Well, this was something that has been found ‘substantial’ by most people, and the news grabbed all the limelight within no time.
The final verdict!
The court has ruled the verdict in Dr. Cohen’s favor and he has been acquitted of the charges framed by Dr. Pierre Dukan.
Still, the controversy didn’t end there and most of the nutritionists around came up with their observations regarding the “much hyped’ Dukan diet.
Dr. Elizabeth Weichselbaum from the British Nutrition Foundation has said that cutting off all the essential nutrients (including carbohydrates) is never a good idea.
Per her, this habit can eventually make your body go weak and dizzy while experiencing severe fatigue issues.
She also said that cutting out carbohydrates and adding more proteins to your diet can help you lose weight; the same diet is acceptable for a shorter period.
However, the same diet may come along with some severe health issues like constipation, cardiovascular issues, high cholesterol, fatigue, and weakness in the long term.
Dukan diet: Thumbs up or thumbs down?
Numerous dietitians and nutritionists have confirmed that going by low carb diets like the Dukan diet is a good idea for short-term health goals and you must avoid getting along with the same for longer periods.
Instead, a healthy and balanced diet can be followed while including all the essential nutrients like Proteins, carbohydrates, fibers, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.
This doesn’t need a time frame; you can stay healthy and fit for your entire life while on this dietary regime.
You can bring all the fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, poultry, nuts, and healthy oils into your diet and you might not need to go by any diet plan for your entire life.
You must stay low on sugars and instead go ahead with certain sweeteners.
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