Key Takeaways of the Dukan Diet
- Do: Load up on proteins – especially in the beginning – and oat bran.
- Don’t: Stray from the rules. Many carbs are forbidden, especially in the early phases.
- Benefits: Coaching and/or group support is available. And there’s no counting of calories required. You will likely lose weight, though experts question whether it’s sustainable.
- Risks: You could fall short on key nutrients like potassium and fiber. It’s a diet with lots of strict rules but little research to back up its claims.
What Is the Dukan Diet?
This diet is based on the theory that counting calories isn't the key to weight loss – protein is. The theory goes that protein is a weight-loss powerhouse: It's filling, takes time and work to digest and has very few calories per gram of food compared to carb-heavy foods. Limiting carbohydrates, the body's preferred energy source, forces the body to turn to an alternative fuel – stored fat.
Developed by French physician Dr. Pierre Dukan, the diet claims that you can lose up to 10 pounds within the first week and two to four pounds a week after that until you’ve reached your goal. That's motivation enough for dieters to follow a strict plan that rewards the faithful by slowly adding back the bread, cheese and fruit.
Is It Easy to Follow?
How much do you like rules? If you want to be told exactly what to do – no matter how difficult the rules – you’ll appreciate the Dukan diet’s many guidelines. While the restrictive phases are short, they are very restrictive.
“A good aspect of this program is that dieters will feel satisfied and won’t go hungry since protein is filling,” says Sonya Angelone, a registered dietitian nutritionist in the San Francisco Bay area. “There isn’t a calorie limit, so math skills aren’t needed.”
How Does the Dukan Diet Work?
Be prepared for lots of rules. All four phases of the Dukan diet are heavy on do's and don'ts. Even the slightest slip-up is considered destructive.
- Attack phase. You'll start with the all-you-can-eat, pure protein Attack phase, which lasts two to seven days.
- Cruise phase. During the Cruise phase, you are allowed to consume certain vegetables on selected days. The duration of this phase is based on a schedule of three days for each pound you want to lose.
- Consolidation phase. In the third phase, you'll add more foods, such as cheese and bread. The Consolidation phase lasts five days per pound lost in the previous Cruise phase. Every Thursday is deemed a pure-protein day.
- Stabilization phase. By the permanent Stabilization phase, you’re relatively free, but must follow three "non-negotiable" rules: have 3 tablespoons of oat bran daily, walk 20 minutes daily while using stairs whenever possible and continue with pure-protein Thursdays.
Can the Dukan Diet Help Me Lose Weight?
You will likely lose weight, although weight-loss research specific to the Dukan diet is limited to a handful of small studies. For example:
- A small study of women participating in the Dukan diet showed an average weight loss of 33 pounds after just eight to 10 weeks.
- One year-long study of 34 participants found that the Dukan diet was more effective than a traditional low-calorie diet for weight loss and reduction in waist circumference, fat and metabolic rate.
Although the diet's final Stabilization phase is geared toward weight maintenance, it’s unclear whether the Dukan diet leads to long-term weight management.
The Dukan diet is a temporary fix, according to experts.
“It may help you get started so you have the momentum to keep going, but it won’t help you change the lifestyle issues that contributed to the excess weight in the first place," says Angelone. "If momentum is what you need to transition to a healthy lifestyle, then this program stands a chance for long-term success.”
Health Benefits of the Dukan Diet
Other than health improvements that may arise from losing excess weight, the Dukan diet is not noted for specific health benefits.
While the Dukan diet is sometimes linked with Diabetes management, it's unknown whether the Dukan truly plays a role in diabetes prevention or control. However, because being overweight is one of the biggest risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, this diet may tilt the diabetes odds in your favor by helping you lose weight and keep it off.
In terms of control, the plan – at least in its initial phases – aligns with the American Diabetes Association's eating guidelines, which emphasize fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Later phases, which are less strict, will allow you to ensure your diet complies with your doctor's recommendations.
Health Risks of the Dukan Diet
There are a few health risks to watch out for with the Dukan diet
- Kidney issues
- Possible heart disease risk
- Lethargy, bad breath, dry mouth and constipation
Kidney issues
Short-term, a high-protein, low-carb diet likely isn’t harmful. The long-term outlook is less clear. When digested, protein creates uric acid, which must be eliminated. Because of the high amount of protein, the kidneys need to work especially hard, which could cause injury or worsen existing kidney problems.
The rebuttal to these concerns on the Dukan website: Drinking enough water, a recommended 1.5 liters daily, will keep the kidneys working efficiently.
Possible heart disease risk
The Dukan diet’s impact on heart health is unclear. In general, heart experts recommend a diet that encourages fruits, vegetables and fiber-rich whole grains and limits saturated fat and salt. Research findings on high-protein diets in general and their effect on heart health remain mixed and inconclusive. Some studies show associations between high dietary protein intake and increased risk of heart failure, but it is unclear whether high-protein diets cause heart disease.
What Foods Can I Eat on the Dukan Diet?
Here’s a list of foods to eat on the Dukan diet
- Lean beef, veal and pork
- Chicken and turkey
- Low-fat ham and venison
- Organ meat like liver and tongue
- Shellfish
- Tofu and seitan for vegetable protein
- Nonfat dairy
- No-calorie drinks including diet soda
- Oat bran
- Non-starchy veggies like cucumbers and salad greens (once Cruise phase is reached)
Shopping List
- Lean steak or ground beef in the fridge or freezer
- Poultry and shrimp
- Tofu
- Nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese for snacks
- Oat bran
- Eggs
- Herbs like parsley, dill weed, rosemary, oregano and thyme
- Spices like cinnamon, chili powder and paprika
- Low-sodium broth
- Lettuce or cabbage for wraps
- Diet soda (if you like it)
- Coffee or tea
- Artificial sweeteners
What Foods Do I Avoid on the Dukan Diet?
- Fruit (daily serving allowed in the Consolidation phase)
- Bread (two daily whole-grain slices allowed in Consolidation)
- Cheese (1.5 ounces allowed in Consolidation daily)
- Pasta or quinoa (two weekly servings in Consolidation)
- Alcohol, until you reach the Consolidation phase
DukanDiet Tips and Advice
Marshall Brain, 62, has struggled with his weight for decades. The entrepreneur, author and engineer – best known for being the founder of HowStuffWorks.com and host of National Geographic’s "Factory Floor with Marshall Brain" – initially came across the Dukan diet on a tabloid website. With nothing else to lose but his weight, he decided to give the low-carb, high-protein diet a try.
When he started the diet in 2008, he was approximately 70 to 80 pounds overweight, which affected his mobility, self-perception and general quality of life. Although he admitted to failing by noon on the first day of his diet, he went back, followed the plan and managed to lose 50 pounds in six months.
However, the Dukan diet was a short-term solution to a long-term problem: Brain’s love of carbs was too strong for a highly restrictive diet – especially one that completely eliminates his favorite macronutrient – to be sustainable.
