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Thoughts On Low Carb Diets
By Joe Serpico, Thu Dec 8th
With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation ofinformation, it's no wonder that confusion reigns when it comesto the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heateddebates are raging everywhere! Whether it's Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carbplan, up to 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet. Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in ourdiet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, andother health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attributeobesity and related health problems to over-consumption ofcalories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Criticsalso express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, andvegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies ofsome key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, andseveral minerals.
Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can producesignificant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet.But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able tolose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does thescale show a year after going off the diet? Let's see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carbdiets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken fromrecent studies and scientific literature. Please note there maybe insufficient information available to answer all questions. - Differences Between Low-Carb Diets There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrateconsumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means thatprotein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amountof the total caloric intake. Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a pointwhere the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like theZone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, likeSugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods thatelevate blood sugar levels excessively. - What We Know about Low-Carb Diets Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a widevariety 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 ofthe studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none ofthe 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, andtherefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting.This helps to explain discrepancies between studies. The weight loss on low-carb diets seems to be a function ofcaloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reducedcarbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want tolose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a longtime period. Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carbdiets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-termadverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulinand blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets.However, it is true that adverse effects may not show up becauseof the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losingweight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway,and this may offset an increase
caused by a high fat diet. Thelong range weight change for low-carb and other types of dietsis similar. Some low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potentialconsequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, andconfusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting somefatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, thesesymptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath afruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone). Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more caloriesthan other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorieis a calorie and it doesn't matter weather they come fromcarbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the resultof uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheaton calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or anynumber of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. lessthan 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high. What Should You Do? - There are 3 important points I would liketo re-emphasize: - The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types ofdiets is similar. - Despite their popularity, little information exists on thelong-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets. - Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normalway of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower. It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more,well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There justisn't a lot of good information available, especially concerninglong-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis whichis an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Undersome circumstances this might cause health relatedcomplications. The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime ofbetter eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach yourweight goal. If you can't see yourself eating the prescribedfoods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it'snot the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fatdiet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate andother nutrients is beneficial. If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember thatcertain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease.Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fattyacids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferredto fats from animal origins. Even promoters of the now say people on their planshould limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat.Atkins representatives are telling health professionals thatonly 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come fromsaturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes asAtkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets thatcall for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan.Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorgeon red meat! Another alternative to "strict" low-carb dieting would be togive up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not "throw outthe baby with the bath water". In other words, foods high inprocessed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, butfoods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes, andwhole grains retained. About the author:Joe Serpico is webmaster at aa-fitness-guide.com. For much moreinformation regarding exercise, health, nutrition, and fitness,visit http://www.aa-fitness-guide.com
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