Are Low Carbs Healthy For Teenagers?

Low-carb diets are all the rage for weight loss. But especially if you are a teenager, you should know that many diet plans that require you to cut out any one type of nutrient could harm your growing body. You may be able to safely cut back on certain types of carbs, but talk to your parents and doctor before you make any changes to your current diet.

Why You Need Carbs

Carbs break down into simple sugars when you digest them, then they enter your blood as a sugar called glucose. Glucose fuels your body, which enables you to do everything from breathing to running for the track team. Your liver and muscles store the fuel you don't use so that you can use it for emergency purposes such as sprinting away from a predator.

"Good" Carbs

Some types of carbs are more nutritious than others. Complex carbs typically break down more slowly in your body, which can be beneficial because they don't cause your body to go through fast sugar dips and spikes. Complex carbs are often fiber-rich foods, too. Eating fiber-rich foods such as whole-grain bread, oatmeal and brown rice helps improve your digestion and may help you maintain a healthy weight because you feel full longer, according to the Center for Young Women's Health.

"Bad" Carbs

Simple carbs, which you can often find in sweets and chips from vending machines and your school snack bar, typically break down fast and give you rapid mood and energy swings. Simple carbs also don't make you feel full for very long, so you may end up eating more calories than you need. However, some simple carbs -- such as milk and fruit -- are important to eat in balance with complex carbs because they are rich in nutrients that help you grow properly.

Risks of Low-Carb Dieting

If your body doesn't take in enough carbs, it uses your emergency stores. However, as soon as that runs out, your body needs to create its own blood sugar by breaking down important muscle tissues. Also, when you cut down on most carbs, you need to replace those calories with other types of foods. Many low-carb diets only allow you to make carbs about 15 percent to 20 percent of your diet, which means the majority of the foods you eat are proteins and fats. Many high-protein foods such as red meat and whole-fat milk and yogurt contain a lot of saturated fat, which can increase your risk of heart disease.

Healthy Tips

Make your low-carb diet a low "bad" carb diet. You can eat fruit and low-fat or skim dairy products, but save sugary snacks, soda, white bread and potato chips for special occasions only, recommends the iParenting Media website. Replace most of these with high-quality carbs such as whole grains and vegetables. Most teens need about 2-½ cups of vegetables and six to seven 1 oz. servings of grains each day.