Are Low Carb Diets A Good Idea?

A low-carb diet can be an easy solution for someone looking to lose weight. Eating low-carb is easy and can result in some health-related benefits. If you are not the kind of person that enjoys dieting, starting a low-carb diet may be a good idea for you. Many people find that on a low-carb diet you can still eat some of the foods you love.

Premise

The low-carb diet involves limiting your intake of carbohydrates. For some this is an easy diet to perform, but if you are the kind of person that craves pasta and rice, this diet might be hard for you. By limiting carbohydrates, your intake of meats and dairy increases. This diet involves no calorie counting or portion control, it simply restricts the amount of carbs you eat each meal. According to the Mayo Clinic, a low-carb diet usually involves limiting your intake of carbs to 15 to 30 g per day.

Weight Loss

If you are trying to lose weight, a low-carb diet may be a good idea. The low-carb diet causes weight loss by decreasing your production of insulin. When you eat carbohydrates, your body releases insulin into your bloodstream to transport blood glucose into the cells that need it. However, when insulin is present in your blood, it also inhibits the breakdown and use of fat for energy. If you eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, you also reduce the amount of insulin in your blood, causing your body to increase the breakdown, mobilization and usage of stored fats.

Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you may want to consider eating a low-carb diet. According to a paper written by Katharine Morrison in the "British Journal of General Practice" in November 2005, a low-carb diet can offer a diabetic better glucose control and may even cause a reduction in diabetes medications. According to Morrison, the less carbohydrates you eat, the bigger impact on your glycemic control. Reducing your intake of dietary sugars and starches may also cause a reduction in insulin injections and a significant improvement on markers of blood glucose. Reducing your intake of carbohydrates can reduce the likelihood of hyperglycemia and reducing your intake of insulin can also reduce the likelihood of hypoglycemia.

Hypertension

If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, following a low-carb diet may be a good idea for you. Hypertension is the diagnosis of chronic high blood pressures, which may be reduced following a low-carb diet, according to a study published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" in January 2010. The study took 146 obese people with high blood pressure problems and placed them on either a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet combined with a weight loss pill. Over one year, all participants lost weight and improved their blood cholesterol profiles, but those on the low-carb diet saw a great improvement in blood pressure. In fact, 47 percent of the low-carb dieters either reduced or eliminated their blood pressure medications by the end of the study. This kind of diet is easy and can offer hope for those trying to increase their cardiovascular health.