Low Carb Diets
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Understanding Low Carb Diets
With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it’s no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere!
Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.
Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.
Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet?
Let’s see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.
- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets
There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.
Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.
- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets
Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly.
Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.
Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce.
Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.
The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.
Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.
Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).
Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.
What Should You Do? – There are 3 important points I would like to re-emphasize:
- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.
- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.
- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower.
It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn’t a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this might cause health related complications.
The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can’t see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it’s not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.
If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins.
Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on red meat!
Another alternative to “strict” low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not “throw out the baby with the bath water”. In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Do low carb diets really work?How many carbs a day is considered a low carb diet?
for example, if i where to keep up the low carb diet for about one month and then i start eating regular, will i gain more weight? or what are the “side effects” if i where to do this?-
ANSWER:
Low carb diets are an excellent way to lose bodyfat.in the short term, as long as you don’t go below your BMR in daily caloric intake. Where people run into problems is taking all cals to too low of a level and choose low quality nutrients, and unfortunate component left over from Atkins days when the diet allowed for any and all types of fats and proteins. Anything lower than 20% of your daily caloric intake coming from carbs can be considered low carb.As for the long term, once you reach the desired goals, you don’t want to continue back on the diet that got you into trouble in the first place. This means cutting out the processed foods, especially processed carbs, which are so prevalent in the modern diet. A diet high in lean proteins, low GI carbs and good fats spread out over the day will always produce optimum results, along with a consistent exercise regimen.
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QUESTION:
When will people realize that low carb diets are not the answer to peoples weight problems?
Low carb diets are intended for the athlete who has to lose significant amounts of weight in short periods of time: wrestlers, MMA fighters, boxers, body builders, etc. They are not meant to be a lifestyle choice. Suggesting these diets to the average person looking to lose a couple of pounds makes no sense as nearly all the weight lost in such a diet will be gained back ( I just fought saturday, weighed in at 185, and weigh close to 200 today). These are dead end diets. Look to balance your intake with strenuous exercise. Exercise and balanced nutrition is the key, not fad dieting.-
ANSWER:
You hit the nail on the head.Fat loss is more about calories than about what exactly one eats. For health reasons, a person should eat a balanced diet that is low in calories and lower in fats than carbs and proteins.
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QUESTION:
Can low carb diets make you feel nauseated?
Been on low carb for quite some time about a month. My appetite has slowly gone away to the point where I am not really hungry, except now the past few days I feel terribly nauseated. Stomach growling, but nothing sounds good. I had to make myself throw up just to feel better. I think I’ll go eat a bowl of spaghetti despite the carbs since that sounds comforting. Would a low carb diet have this effect?-
ANSWER:
Low carb eating is actually the diet the human body prefers. Our ancestors millions of years ago did not eat grains, sugars, or bowls of spaghetti and they were lean and healthy. You may find that you are eating the same things over and over which gets really old. Get some new recipes and try eating a wider variety of healthy, low carb foods.
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QUESTION:
How come people lose so much weight from low carb diets when calories make us fat?
I don’t understand, I always thought it was calories that make us fat. And my friend went on a low carb diet, I haven’t seen him till yesterday and he lost like 50 freaking pounds. wtf? I thought it was calories that made us fat? now im starting not to believe everything people tell me about food.-
ANSWER:
Carbs are the bodies main source of energy, take away them and your body has to turn to stored energy.
However, low carb diets such as atkins are really unhealthy . Carbs aren’t the enemy and lots more people lose weight while still eating them.
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QUESTION:
are high protein low carb diets good for competitive cyclists trying to lose weight?
Ive been reading this book on how high protein and moderate fat diets are alot better than low fat high complex carb ones. It says it controls your insulin levels much better and thus not store fat. On the other hand if I limit carbs with the amount of training I do daily Im afraid I will bonk out. Im 6’1 and weight about 171 lbs, and I can lose body fat and get leaner-
ANSWER:
You reading the Abs Diet by David Zinczenko? That one seems to have some good scientific backing, and while I’m no nutrition expert, it seems to be an effective, healthy way to lose fat (not just weight, which could include muscle). I say this is a good way for everyone to go. I think you could modify the diet for your purposes though, and add in more carbs, but complex carbs. Good luck with your training!
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