The low-carb diet reviewed

The method
The jury is still out on the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets. Nutritionists and medical professionals are unconvinced they are good for your body. Followers claim that low-carb diets help to boost their energy levels, lower insulin levels, slow down the ageing process and reduce cravings.

Does it work?
There's no doubt that for many people, a low-carb diet certainly helps lose weight quickly at the start. But too high a protein level in your diet over a long period can lead to a state called ketosis, in which the body starts to dissolve muscle to supply itself with sufficient energy.

Pros
You lose weight fairly quickly to begin with, but you have to follow guidelines rigidly. There is good advice on eating the right fats in your daily diet.

Cons
Long-term use could cause kidney damage and you get bad breath! Books take a lot of detailed reading to follow them correctly.

Buy the books
New books on the hotly debated topic include Curb The Carbs by Amanda Cross, published by Hamlyn, £12.99. One piece of advice I did think was useful was to eat a piece of fruit 20 minutes before each meal. There are also good exercise charts and if you are vegetarian, then this book helps with relevant low-carb suggestions, aside from the inevitable tofu!

Joanna Hall's Carb Curfew, £6.99, published by Thorsons (plus many of her other books) allows carbs during the day but bans them after 5pm so you don't feel bloated. She also encourages you to drink plenty of water - up to 2 litres a day - and allows you a little leeway with her 80/20% rule, meaning it's OK on some days to stick to the diet 80% of the time.

Seven million copies of the South Beach Diet by Miami doctor Arthur Agatston, published by Headline at £10.99, have been sold. This regime allows you to eat three times a day with the 'right' carbs and fats. But for the first 14 days you are allowed no rice, bread, pasta, etc. Can you stick it out?