History Of The Low-carbohydrate Diet

Low-carbohydrate diets include a limited amount of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as grains, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, breakfast cereals, crackers, granola bars, anything made with flour, baked goods, sugar, milk, yogurt, fruits, juices and soft drinks. Instead, low-carb diets are based on eating non-starchy vegetables, beef, chicken, pork, fish and fat. The low-carb craze has roots thousands of years ago.

Hunter-Gatherers

During the Paleolithic period, which is estimated to have lasted from 200,000 years ago to 12,000 years ago, humans got their food from hunting animals and gathering some plant foods, such as some seasonal grains, vegetables and fruits. Humans evolved eating a low-carbohydrate diet, which comprised approximately 30 percent to 35 percent of the calories as carbohydrates. These carbohydrates, provided by grains, vegetables and fruits, were minimally processed and constituted a source of fiber and other important nutrients.

William Banting

William Banting, an overweight English carpenter of the 19th century, consulted a surgeon for advice regarding his increasing body weight. The surgeon first recommended "bodily exertion before any ordinary daily labours began," which Banting did by rowing his boat on the river two hours a day. However, Banting's appetite increased, which made him gain more weight. After consulting numerous physicians and trying different plans, he finally met with Dr. William Harvey and was recommended to give up bread, butter, milk, sugar and potatoes because these foods were thought to contain starches and sugar at that time. Banting followed this low-carb eating plan and lost a significant amount of weight, from 202 lbs. to 156 lbs., which was more suitable for his 5-foot, 5-inch body frame. He later wrote about his experience and diet, which was published in 1863 in a booklet called "Letter on Corpulence Addressed to the Public."

Dr. Atkins

Dr. Robert C. Atkins, the famous man behind the Atkins Diet, first published his controversial book "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution" about his low-carb diet in 1972. His eating plan was criticized by many because his plan was against the mainstream recommendations of the time. Updated versions of his book were published in 1992 and 1999, and it is now among the top 50 best-selling books of all time. Even after Atkins' death, a new and updated version of the Atkins diet was published in 2010: "The New Atkins for a New You."

Today

Since the 1970s, many diet plans following the low-carb eating principles have been released to help people lose weight, such as Protein Power, The Zone Diet and the South Beach Diet. All of these low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrates to a different extent, while promoting the consumption of more non-starchy vegetables, protein and fat. Today's researchers are increasingly interested in evaluating the impact of low-carb diets not only on body weight, but also on health parameters related to cardiovascular health and diabetes.