Low and no-carb diets have been popular in the years leading up to 2011. Atkins, Sugar Busters, Protein Power, South Beach and The Zone diets are a few examples of diets that limit carbohydrates. It is easy to find low-carb foods in grocery stores and low-carb choices in restaurants. These diets offer some advantages, but some disadvantages as well.
What Is Low-Carb?
Low-carb diets limit carbohydrates such as starchy vegetables, bread, grains, rice, fruit and sweets and are comprised mainly of protein and fat. They concentrate on meat, poultry, eggs, fish and some non-starchy vegetables. Generally, their purpose is for weight loss. Proponents of low-carb eating are of the opinion that a decrease in carbohydrates results in lower insulin levels, causing the body to burn its stored fat for energy. Anywhere from 20 to 150 g of carbohydrate daily is considered low-carb.
Atkins and Protein Power
The Atkins diet has an induction phase of two weeks which allows only 20 g of carbohydrate. The diet places no limit on saturated fat foods such as butter, bacon, red meat and cheese. A few carbohydrates are added in for the maintenance phase of the diet, but the dieter must fundamentally change his approach to eating and must give up foods such as cake, potatoes, pasta and pancakes forever. The Protein Power diet is similar to Atkins, but does allow about 50 g of carbohydrate daily. This diet involves calorie-counting and eating at specific times. The amount of protein allowed depends your activity level. Inactive people may be only allowed a low calorie intake, which could actually cause the metabolism to slow down.
Benefits
Sometimes people are able to lose weight quickly on low-carb, no sugar diets. Much of the weight they shed to begin with is water weight. You may experience a feeling of fullness since fat and protein take longer to digest than cars. Overall you will be eating fewer calories because of the restriction on food variety. If you eat mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, you can lower your cholesterol, but you could increase it by eating saturated fats. People with low blood sugar often feel better on low-carb diets since there are not carbohydrates, either complex or refined, to play havoc with their blood sugar.
Risks
The American Institute for Cancer Research reviewed some of the popular low-carb diet plans, including Atkins and Protein Power, and found them lacking in dietary fiber, selected vitamins and minerals and important phytochemicals which protect against cancer. Over time, the high amounts of saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Excess protein may even leach calcium from the bones. Although the diets advocate ketosis, a fasting state in which the body metabolizes muscle tissue instead of fat, this state could cause muscle breakdown, nausea, dehydration, headaches, irritability, bad breath and kidney problems. Basically, the diets encourage an imbalance of the major food groups.
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