What Are The Benefits Of Low Carb Eating?

Low carb diets are mainly based on protein, fat and and low-starch vegetables. They restrict carbohydrates to varying extents -- generally between 50 and 150 g -- and some plans recommend temporarily keeping carbs below 20 g a day. Restricting your carbohydrate intake means cutting back, and sometimes completely cutting out, on the bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals, baked goods, beans, lentils, fruits, some dairy products, sugary beverages and sugary desserts.

Weight Loss

Low carb diets can help you lose weight effectively without hunger. A study published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine" in 2004 showed that participants follow a low carb eating plan -- comprised of less than 20 g of carbohydrate a day initially and slightly more carbohydrate after a few weeks -- lost an average of 20.7 lbs. of body fat in a period of 24 weeks. this was significantly more than the 10.6 lbs. of body fat lost in the low fat, calorie-restricted group.

Increased Satiety

Another benefit of low carb diets is their greater satiating power when compared to calorie-restricted or low-fat eating plans. Most studies that compare the effectiveness of low-carb diets for weight loss against low-fat diets, including the study published in the 2004 issue of the "Annals of Internal Medicine," restricted calories in the low-fat group, but not in the low-carb group. Even when following a low-fat diet, it is important to pay careful attention to your calorie intake and create a calorie deficit of 500 and 1,000 calories a day to lose weight. However, with low-carb diets, only carbs need to be restricted. Because low-carb diets are more satiating, limiting your carb intake is thought to automatically result in a lower calorie intake, resulting in hunger-free weight loss.

Blood Cholesterol Levels

Eating low-carb is an effective way to bring your blood cholesterol levels under control, especially if you have elevated triglycerides levels and low HDL levels. The study published in "Annals of Internal Medicine" in 2004 shows that eating a low-carb diet for 24 weeks can reduce triglycerides levels by 74.2 mg/dL and boost heart-protective HDL cholesterol levels by 5.5 mg/dL, making low-carb diets significantly more effective at improving blood cholesterol levels when compared to low-fat diets. In this study, low-fat diets reduced triglyceride levels by 27.9 mg/dL and decreased HDL cholesterol levels by 1.6 mg/dL.

Low Carb Eating

If you want to give low carb eating a try, you can try just lowering your carbohydrate intake by reducing your consumption of breads, rice, pasta, potatoes, granola bars, breakfast cereals, baked goods, fruits, sugar and sweets. Instead, base your diet on low-carb non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, leafy greens, cauliflower, asparagus and Brussels sprouts. Complete your meals with protein from fish, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, eggs and cheese. Low-carb vegetarian sources of protein, such as tofu and other soy-based sources or protein are also acceptable. Always include some healthy fats at each meal, whether it is avocado, olive oil, nuts or seeds.