According to The Mayo Clinic, low-carbohydrate diets are those that limit the consumption of such carbs as white bread, rice, grains, starchy vegetables and fruit. It replaces them with proteins and fats such as poultry, beef, pork, shellfish, dairy foods and green vegetables. "The idea is that by restricting daily carbohydrate intake, cravings for carbohydrates will eventually subside, resulting in a lower amount of food consumption and weight loss," notes a study of low-carb diets at Vanderbilt University.
History and Purpose
Today 's low-carb diets are descendants of the popular Atkins Diet of the 1990s. Each places varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates to be consumed, and what's important is to study the pros and cons based upon individual health status, body type, and personal goals. "The emphasis," says best-selling low-carb author Linda Gassenheimer, "is on using vegetables, lean protein and the type of carbohydrates that do not send blood sugar skyrocketing."
A Sensible Low-Carb Diet
According to Loss Weight Diet, a sensible 1,600-calorie lower-carbohydrate diet might include a breakfast of eggs, yogurt, or whole-grain oatmeal, fruit or fruit juice. Lunch could be a turkey sandwich on wheat bread, fish, or a salad with beans and cheese, and a good selection of vegetables. Dinner might be fish or another lean meat, broth-based soup, salad, and vegetables or brown rice. Acceptable snacks are cheese, nuts, fruit, peanut butter, and a low-carbohydrate snack bar. A typical limit is 50 to 150 grams of carbohydrates per day.
What to Expect
A low-carb diet is likely to promote weight loss--at least in the early stages. The diuretic effects of these diets often bring an early loss of water weight. Fats and proteins usually require more time to digest than carbohydrates, so you may feel fuller longer after a meal. Because the rules of low-carbohydrate dieting are rather strict, the chances are you will cut down on calorie intake too.
Potential Risks
A low-carb diet may be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease and perhaps some types of cancer. Limiting consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods may cost the body sufficient fiber. According to the Vanderbilt study, "The most reported negative side effect associated with low-carb diets is ketosis, a metabolic disorder which can be caused by a deficiency of carbohydrates. An increase in the level of ketones results in larger than normal excretion of sodium and water loss."
In Summary
Some research has found low-carb diets to be beneficial, others detrimental. One problem is that such diets typically go against the conventional wisdom of dieting. Another, according to WeightLossForAll, is that "many practitioners are uninformed, misinformed, or simply lack the common sense and intuitive bodily wisdom to utilize the low-carb approach intelligently." Says the Mayo Clinic, "Weight loss may or may not continue long term, depending on your commitment to following the eating plan. If you abandon the low-carb diet and return to your former eating habits, you may regain any lost weight."
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