Low carbohydrate diets are currently being promoted as an effective treatment for weight reduction.¹ The most popular, the Atkins’ diet, is a worldwide bestseller with over 10 million book copies sold (the earliest being Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution²). Two randomised clinical trials in obese patients have shown effective weight loss at six months on the Atkins’ diet compared with a low fat calorie reduced diet although the difference was not significant or sustained at 12 months.^3,4 The Atkins’ diet recommends unlimited protein and fat intake, with carbohydrate intake initially restricted to 20 g/day (5–10% of daily calorie intake), mainly as salad greens and other non-starchy vegetables. In the longer term maintenance phase, the diet remains low in cereal grains (wheat, rye, and barley), which are toxic in coeliac disease. …