The Dukan diet: does it work for fat loss?
Many people want to lose fat quickly. However, rapid weight loss is hard to achieve and even harder to maintain.
The Dukan diet claims to produce rapid and permanent weight loss without hunger.
You may be wondering if this diet would work for you. This detailed overview of the Dukan diet, which is very popular in America, explains everything you need to know.
What is the Dukan diet?
The Dukan diet is a high-protein, low-carb weight loss diet that is divided into 4 phases.
It was developed by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French general practitioner who specialized in weight management.
Dr. Dukan created the diet in the seventies of the 20th century and was inspired by an obese patient who said that he could stop eating all kinds of food except meat in order to lose weight.
After observing the impressive weight loss of many of his patients as a result of his diet, he published the book The Dukan Diet in 2000.
This book has since been published in 32 countries and has become a bestseller. According to many reports, it has helped people all over the world achieve rapid, easy weight loss without hunger.
The Dukan diet shares some characteristics with the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Stillman diet and the Atkins diet.
How does the Dukan diet work?
The Dukan diet starts with calculating your target weight, also known as your "real" weight, based on your age, weight loss history and other factors. How long you stay on each phase of the diet depends on how much weight you need to lose to reach your "real" weight.
These are the four phases of the Dukan diet:
- Attack Phase (1-7 days): You start the diet by eating unlimited amounts of low-fat protein plus 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran.
- Crushing phase (1-12 months): You alternate back and forth between low-fat protein one day and low-fat protein and non-starchy vegetables the next. Eat two tablespoons of oat bran each day.
- Consolidation phase (5 days for every pound you lost during phases 1 and 2): unlimited amounts of low-fat protein and vegetables, a few carbs, one day of only lean protein per week, and 2.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day.
- Stabilization phase (forever): Follow the guidelines for the consolidation phase, but relax the rules as long as your weight remains stable. The amount of oat bran is increased to 3 teaspoons per week.
The diet is therefore divided into two weight loss phases and two maintenance phases.
Which foods can you eat and which should you avoid?
Each phase of the Dukan diet has its own eating pattern. Here is what you are allowed to eat during each of the phases.
What can you eat during the attack phase?
The attack phase is mainly based on protein-rich foods plus a few extras that provide minimal amounts of protein:
- Lean beef, veal, venison, bison and other game
- Lean pork
- Poultry without skin
- Liver, kidneys and tongue
- Fish and shellfish (all types)
- Eggs
- Low-fat dairy products (limited to 1 kilo per day) such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and ricotta
- Tofu and tempeh
- Seitan (a meat substitute made from wheat gluten)
- At least 1.5 liters of water per day (mandatory)
- 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran (mandatory)
- Unlimited amounts of artificial sweetener, shirataki noodles and diet gelatine
- Small amounts of lemon juice and pickles
- 1 teaspoon of oil per day to grease the pan
What can you eat during the cruising phase?
This phase alternates between 2 days.
On one of the two days, dieters must restrict themselves to the foods permitted during the attack phase. On day two, they are allowed to eat the foods of the attack phase plus the following vegetables:
- Spinach, cabbage, lettuce and other green leafy vegetables
- broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
- peppers
- asparagus
- artichokes
- Eggplant
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Green beans
- Onions, leeks and chalots
- Spaghetti squash and other pumpkin varieties
- Turnips
- 1 portion of carrots or beet per day
- 2 tablespoons of oat bran per day (essential)
No other fruits or vegetables are allowed. Apart from a teaspoon of oil in salad dressing or for wiping the pan, no fat should be added.
What can you eat during the consultation phase?
During this phase, dieters are encouraged to mix all foods from the attack phase and the cuising phase and add the following:
- Fruit: one serving of fruit per day, such as one cup (100 grams) of berries or diced melon, one medium apple, one orange, one pear, one peach, one nectarine or two kiwis, two plums or two apricots.
- Bread: Two slices of wholemeal bread a day with a small amount of low-fat butter or margarine.
- Cheese: One portion of cheese (40 grams) per day.
- Starch: 1-2 portions of starch per week such as 225 grams of pasta or cereals, corn, beans, lentils, rice or potatoes.
- Meat: Grilled lamb, grilled pork or grilled ham once or twice a week.
- Feast meals: Two "feast meals" per week including an appetizer, a main course, a dessert and a glass of wine.
- Protein meal: One "pure protein day" per week, on which only foods from the attack phase are allowed.
- Oat bran: 2.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day (mandatory).
What can you eat during the stabilization phase?
The stabilization phase is the final phase of the Dukan diet. It is all about maintaining the results you have achieved during the previous phases.
There are no foods that are strictly forbidden, but there are some principles to follow:
- Use the consolidation phase as a basic framework for planning your meals.
- Continue to plan one protein-only day per week.
- Never take the elevator or escalator if you can use the stairs.
- Oat bran is your friend. Eat 3 tablespoons every day.
Sample meal plans
Here are sample meal plans for the first three phases of the Dukan diet:
Initial phase
Breakfast
- Low-fat cottage cheese with 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran, cinnamon and sweetener
- Coffee or tea with low-fat milk and sweetener
- water
Lunch
- Roast chicken
- Shirataki noodles cooked in bouillon
- Diet gelatine
- Iced tea
dinner
- Lean steak and shrimps
- Diet gelatine
- Decaffeinated coffee with low-fat milk and sweetener
- water
Cruising phase
Breakfast
- Scrambled three eggs
- Sliced tomatoes
- Coffee with low-fat milk and sweetener
- water
Lunch
- Roast chicken with mixed green salad and low-fat vinaigrette
- Low-fat quark, 2 tablespoons oat bran and sweetener
- Iced tea
Evening meal
- Roasted salmon fillet
- Steamed broccoli and cauliflower
- Diet gelatine
- Decaffeinated coffee with low-fat milk and sweetener
- Water
Consolidation phase
Breakfast
- Omelette with three eggs, 40 grams of cheese and spinach
- Coffee with low-fat milk and sweetener
- water
Lunch
- Turkey sandwich with two slices of wholemeal bread
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons oat bran, cinnamon and sweetener
- Iced tea
dinner
- Grilled pork
- Grilled zucchini
- 1 medium apple
- Decaffeinated coffee with low-fat milk and sweetener
- Water
Is the Dukan diet scientifically based?
There is not much research available on the Dukan diet. However, there is a study with Polish women who followed this diet and lost 15 kilos within 8 to 10 weeks with a daily intake of 1000 calories and 100 grams of protein per day (1).
In addition to this, many studies show that other high protein and low carbohydrate diets have great weight loss benefits (2).
There are several factors that contribute to the positive effects of protein on weight loss.
One is the increase in the amount of calories burned during gluconeogenesis - a process in which protein and fat are converted into carbohydrates when carbohydrate intake is limited and protein intake is high (3).
In addition, the metabolic rate increases significantly more after consuming protein than after consuming carbohydrates and fat (4).
Protein also lowers the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and increases the levels of several satiety hormones, which ultimately leads to you eating less (5).
However, the Dukan diet differs from many related high-protein diets in that it restricts the intake of fat and carbohydrates. It is a high protein, low carbohydrate, low fat diet.
The rationale for reducing fat intake on a low-carb, high-protein diet is not scientifically based.
In one study, people who consumed fat with a high-protein, low-carbohydrate meal burned an average of 69 kcal more than people who also avoided fat (6).
The first phases of the Dukan diet are also very low in fiber, despite the fact that oat bran must be eaten daily.
The 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of oat bran consumed daily contain just 5 grams of fiber, which is a very small amount that cannot provide the many benefits of a high-fiber diet (7).
In addition, several healthy sources of fiber such as avocados and nuts are excluded from the diet because they are considered too high in fat.
Is the Dukan diet safe and sustainable?
The safety of the Dukan diet has not yet been studied, but there are concerns among some people about the high protein intake, particularly in terms of its impact on kidney and bone health (8).
In the past, it was thought that high protein intake could lead to kidney damage. However, recent studies have found that high-protein diets are not harmful for people with healthy kidneys (9).
However, for people who are prone to kidney stones, a very high protein intake could exacerbate their problems (10).
Bone density will not decrease with a high-protein diet as long as adequate amounts of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables are consumed (11).
Recent research even suggests that high-protein diets have positive effects on bone health (13).
People with kidney problems, gout, liver disease or other serious medical conditions should consult their doctor before starting a high-protein diet. Keep in mind that the complicated rules and restrictive nature of this diet can make it difficult to follow. Although most people will lose weight during the first two phases of this diet, it is very restrictive, especially during the protein-only days.
The diet also discourages high-fat foods, which can potentially be good for your health. The addition of animal and vegetable fats makes a low carbohydrate diet healthier, more enjoyable and easier to follow in the long term.
What is the conclusion of the Dukan diet?
The Dukan diet can produce the rapid weight loss it promises in reality. However, it includes several features that make it difficult to follow in the long term.
At the end of the day, the Dukan diet is another fast weight loss diet that works, but unnecessarily forces you to avoid many healthy foods.
References:
- 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26024402
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15466943
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19640952
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11838888
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16469977
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17997845
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24412651
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25979491
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1262767/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26816783
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9614169
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21611972
Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dukan-diet-101