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Truth About Low-Carb Foods

Mar 28, 2011 | By Angela Ogunjimi

Carbohydrates provide important functions for your body. They're the body's primary fuel source to supply energy to cells. All carbs are not the same, however. Some carbs suddenly increase your blood sugar after eating them, while others, such as fiber-rich foods, digest more slowly and have important health benefits. Your supermarket shelves might be packed with products claiming to be "low-carb," but you should learn to read labels carefully. The truth about low-carb foods is that they capitalize on diet crazes that have people believing carbs are behind weight gain, causing confusion among diabetics.

Terminology

In popular media, the term "low-carb" can have different meanings. Some foods are naturally low in carbs or contain none, such as most meat. Dieters might subsist on an eating regimen such as the Atkins Diet, in which they consistently eat only foods that are low in carbs. Other foods, especially processed goods, might be modified and labeled as "low carb," meaning the carb content has been changed in the manufacturing process. Read food labels carefully to determine how carbs are measured. The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010" only classifies carbs as either simple or complex. Simple carbs are basically sugar. Although some sugars are naturally occurring, such as that in fruit and milk, most Americans eat more carbs from foods with added, refined sugar. Complex carbs include fibrous foods and starches. The guidelines say most Americans get enough complex carbs, although they tend to eat more of them from "refined grains" rather than whole healthier whole grains. Most people should be getting about 45 to 65 percent of their calories from carbs.

Low-Carb Diets -- Low Energy

Carbs are the primary way your body gets the fuel it needs. Your body breaks down carbs and turns them into blood sugar, which, with the help of insulin, get carried into your cells, providing energy for routine functions, everything from breathing and digesting to standing or exercising. When you eat more carbs than needed, your liver stores the extra blood sugar for later use. When you deprive your body of needed carbs, such as when you follow a low-carb diet, you might increase your risk of ketosis, a metabolic disorder caused when your body starts to resort to using fat for energy. With ketosis, you shed more water weight and sodium, producing the weight loss many low-carb dieters experience. An unfortunate side effect of ketosis, however, is low energy and lethargy.

Low-Carb Eating Starves Your Brain

Your brain needs glucose from carbs to function properly. You can risk depriving your brain of its energy source by remaining on a low-carb diet for an extended period of time. You might experience problems with concentration, memory and learning, according to the Franklin Institute. In a study comparing women on low-carb vs. low-calorie diets, Tufts University researchers said participants performed worse on tests involving memory, attention and other measures of cognitive ability. They returned to normal once they went back to eating more carbs. Eating low-carb foods, to the exclusion of other types of carbs, might leave you at risk of depression and mood problems as well.

"Net Carbs" Craze

Many starchy processed products on your supermarket shelves might be labeled "low-carb," and you might even see a marketing term on the front label saying it has low "Net Carbs." Although this term has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, food manufacturers calculate net carbs by subtracting the grams of fiber and sugar alcohols from the actual total carbs in the product, leaving you with a number of grams of carbs that your body supposedly will process and that might have an effect on your blood sugar. An interim policy by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture questions the use of such marketing, but the agency would not immediately object to their use because there are no regulatory definitions for terms such as "net carbs," "effective carbs" and "net impact carbs."

Weight Loss on Low-Carb Foods Is Temporary

The type of carbs you eat matters. Eating nutrient-rich complex carbs, such as those from fruits, vegetables, legumes and beans, while simultaneously ridding your diet of simple sugars, can help you control your weight. A May 2003 "New England Journal of Medicine" study compared the weight-loss results of people following a high-protein, low-carb diet with those who followed more conventional low-fat diets. The low-carb group lost more weight, approximately 4 percent more, than those on the low-fat diet during the first six months of the study. After that, there were no significant differences. Furthermore, participants found it difficult to adhere to either eating style for very long, and many dropped out of the study.

References

Article reviewed by OmahaTyppo Last updated on: Mar 28, 2011

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