Low Carb Diet With Beans

Low-carbohydrate diets seek to enable weight loss by reducing the amount and types of carbohydrates that you eat. While beans and legumes are not traditional low-carbohydrate foods, there is some suggestion that they may work within the parameters of certain low-carbohydrate diets. Even strict low-carbohydrate diets such as Atkins allow legumes in later phases of the diet, while other low-carbohydrate diets such as Protein Power and Zone may allow moderate amounts of legumes throughout the duration of the diet.

Background

Traditionally, low-carbohydrate diets limit complex and simple carbohydrate foods such as legumes, whole grains, sugar and starchy vegetables. Atkins was the first modern low-carbohydrate diet. It came into popularity in 1972 when Dr. Robert Atkins wrote, "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution." Dieters responded to a diet that was completely different to what they were used to, and many enjoyed the prospect of losing weight by eating what Atkins billed as "luxurious" foods such as butter, steak and lobster. In 1992, Atkins introduced his ideas to a new generation of dieters in "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution." Soon similar low-carbohydrate diets followed.

Identification

Traditional low-carbohydrate diets focus on eating predominantly protein and non-starchy vegetables in order to control carbohydrate levels. In recent years, a more moderate type of low-carbohydrate diet has emerged that focuses on the effect specific carbohydrates have on blood glucose levels rather than on the limitation of those carbohydrates altogether. The measure of how carbohydrates affect blood glucose is called the glycemic index, and proponents of glycemic index low-carbohydrate diets suggest that the glycemic index of a food is as important as whether or not the foods contain carbohydrates. Dieters who eat a low-glycemic diet may experience similar levels of diabetes control and weight loss as traditional low-carbohydrate dieters.

Theories/Speculation

Insulin control is the main reason that low-carbohydrate diets lead to weight loss and type 2 diabetes control, suggests "Good Calories, Bad Calories" author Gary Taubes. When you eat carbohydrate-containing foods, your blood glucose levels rise. This causes your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin serves as a fat storage mechanism. It stores the foods you eat as fat, and it prevents your body from burning fat as fuel. When insulin is absent, your body uses its stored fat for fuel. Low glycemic index foods such as legumes may have a similar effect on blood glucose and insulin. While kidney beans contain high levels of carbohydrates, their glycemic index is low and their impact on blood sugar is most likely minor.

Research

Studies have been completed that show low-carbohydrates to be an effective way to lose weight, including a Temple University study that compared low-fat diets to low-carbohydrate diets and found that both were equally effective when combined with a behavioral modification plan. Evidence surrounding the glycemic index is less clear, however. A 2005 study conducted by Angela Liese, Ph.D., at the University of South Carolina looked closely at how glycemic load affected insulin and concluded that glycemic load might not be related to insulin secretion.

Considerations

The USDA recommends eating a variety of foods from all food groups in order to assure proper nutrition. Low-carbohydrate diets that restrict grains and legumes do not meet these guidelines. It is unclear whether adding beans to a low-carbohydrate diet will reduce the effectiveness of the diet for weight loss because insulin is believed to be the primary mechanism of weight loss in low-carbohydrate diets, and the effect of low glycemic carbohydrates on insulin remains uncertain. If you are eating a reduced carbohydrate or low glycemic index diet for weight control and type 2 diabetes management, work closely with your doctor.