Carbohydrate-restrictive or low-carb diets like the Atkins, Zone and South Beach diets basically cut out carbohydrates and increase proteins. The history of low-carb fad diets is relatively short, dating back to the 1970s. Before you begin a low-carb diet, discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Origin
The low-carb diet craze began with the Atkins diet or the “Atkins Nutritional Approach,” MayoClinic.com says. This diet was invented in 1972 by cardiologist Robert C. Atkins. The Atkins diet went against the dietary guidelines for weight loss in mainstream medicine, which recommend eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Instead, the Atkins diet restricts carbohydrate intake with no limitations on proteins, fats and calories. The diet limits carbs to no more than 20 g per day during the first two weeks and no more than 60 g daily thereafter, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Function
The Atkins low-carb diet is based on the idea that certain carbohydrates cause a rapid increase in your blood-glucose level, which increases your insulin levels, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Increases in your insulin levels cause you to become hungry, which can lead to weight gain. The Atkins diet focused on eliminating these carbohydrates, particularly white rice, potatoes, bread and pasta . Further, the Atkins Nutritional Approach claimed that following a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet actually causes obesity, heart disease and diabetes, MayoClinic.com notes. The diet severely restricts carbohydrates, while increasing intake of protein and “healthy” fats. Instead of counting calories and food portions, the Atkins diet involved counting “net carbs,” the carbohydrate content of foods minus the fiber content.
Development
As the Atkins diet grew in popularity throughout the United States, many other commercial low-carb diets emerged, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The Zone diet and Protein Power are among the most popular low-carb successors to the Atkins diet. In 2003, cardiologist Arthur Agatston invented the South Beach diet, which soon rivaled the popularity of the Atkins diet, MayoClinic.com says. But the South Beach diet put a new spin on the low-carb craze, incorporating slightly more carbohydrates than the Atkins diet. The diet didn’t require carb counting, but it still included high-protein foods and healthy fats.
Considerations
Low-carb diets like the Atkins diet may cause you to lose weight, but they may also pose certain health risks. Eating large amounts of animal-derived proteins and fats could increase your risks for heart disease and certain types of cancers, MayoClinic.com warns. Also, low-carb diets can pose serious health risks for people who have kidney disease or gout, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women. You shouldn’t follow a low-carb diet without first consulting your physician if you have diabetes or take diuretics. Low-carb, high-protein diets can also interfere with blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin, reducing the drug’s effectiveness, cautions the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Because low-carb diets are typically very restrictive of certain foods, you should discuss the diet with your doctor beforehand to determine whether it’s right for you.
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