Low-carb diets deliver – there’s no doubt about it. Weight loss will occur with this type of program but a clear understanding of the principles behind it will help you decide if losing weight in this way is best.
Basically, the idea behind a low-carb diet is to severely limit carbohydrates. This includes bread, grains, rice, starchy vegetables and fruit. But your protein and fat intake should be increased. That means an unlimited amount of cheese, butter and meat. With these types of food recommendations, it’s easy to see why this diet is popular. Many dieters choose this weight loss program simply for the foods they’re allowed to eat.
How It Works
The science behind a low-carb diet is simple and actually works. When carbohydrates are ingested, your blood sugar level in your body increases. Insulin is activated which puts your blood sugar into your cells and inhibits the fat in the foods from breaking down. Essentially, this means that your body won’t burn that fat and weight loss won’t occur.
The low-carb diet takes this science and flips it around. By not allowing your body to process carbohydrates, your insulin level doesn’t increase and fat will be broken down by the body. Actually, the main aim of this diet is to force the body to use fat as its principle source of energy.
The Cons
But here comes the first negative side effect of this diet. While it’s true that fats will be broken down better, there are certain parts of your body that cannot use fat as an energy source. Your brain and blood cells, for instance, need the energy that comes from carbohydrates. When this is not available, the body produces ‘ketone bodies’ to fuel these vital areas. Ketone bodies may be considered to be an emergency fuel source. Side effects include nausea, fatigue and a smell on the breath that is similar to nail polish.
Following a low-carb diet will result in weight loss, but this type of reduction will not be long term. Initially, the weight is lost because without carbohydrates, the body manufactures and uses glycogen as an energy source. Glycogen has a large amount of water and this leads to increased urination. Essentially, the immediate weight loss is in the form of water.
Other factors also contribute to a weight reduction. Traditionally, a low-carb diet decreases the appetite. This can occur because of the presence of more protein and fats which require a longer time to digest and produce a ‘full’ feeling.
By severely limiting carbohydrates from the diet, there is a measurable decrease in calories. On the average, carbohydrates contribute about half of a your daily calories in an unrestricted diet. This reduction in calories also leads to the weight loss.
The weight loss from a low-carb diet mostly comes from eliminating water weight and decreasing muscle tissue. The initial science behind this diet—breaking down fat more efficiently—doesn’t seem to be the key force in any real weight reduction. By decreasing the muscle tissue in the body, this causes a reverse effect. Your body will then require less calories each day, and that makes it more difficult to maintain the desired weight.
Although low-carb diets may tip the scale in the way dieters desire, nutritionally, this system has some basic flaws. By not eating a balanced diet, health issues can develop that will cancel out any ‘gain’ from this method.
