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Low Carbohydrate Diet Explained!
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Low-carbohydrate diets or low carb diets,
are food diet programs for weight loss and dietary health that advocate
restricted carbohydrate consumption, based on research that ties carbohydrate
consumption with increased blood insulin levels, and increased insulin with
obesity.
Under these various dietary programs, foods containing carbohydrates (like
sugar, grains, and starches) are limited or replaced in favor of foods
containing more protein and fat. Vegetables, though classified as carbohydrates,
are thought to be far healthier than grain-based carbohydrates. Programs such as
the South Beach, Atkins and Zone diets, are claimed to "work" because they
reduce insulin levels, which in turn causes the body to burn its fat for energy.
As a process, these kinds of diets have been in and out of fashion since the
Banting diet appeared in the 19th century. But long before modern scientific
invention, anecdotal and holistic prescriptions, containing passages about
limiting certain foods, including foods of mostly carbohydrates, have appeared
throughout history. Although strong evidence suggests, and general agreement
claims, that low carb diets can help achieve weight loss, some have been
controversial among nutritionists, and their relative safety has been
challenged.
In 2004, a Canadian court ruled that foods sold in Canada could not be marketed
with reduced or eliminated carbohydrate content as a selling point because
carbohydrates were determined not to be a health risk, and that existing "low
carb" and "no carb" packaging would have to be phased out by 2006.
Differences between low-carbohydrate diets
Low-carb diets are largely distinguished by the proportions of carb intake they
recommend, and the method or methods used to determinine which source or sources
of carbohydrates should be consumed and which should be avoided. While all agree
that processed sugar should be eliminated, or at the very least greatly reduced,
they often differ on the recommended levels of grains, fruits and vegetables,
though there is broad agreement that, in general, vegetables are better than
fruits, and fruits are better than grains.
Arguments for low-carbohydrate diets
The evolutionary argument
Some advocates of low carb diets believe that humans did not evolve to eat the
typical modern Western diet, reliant on processed grains, starches, and refined
sugar, and that their consumption causes undesired and largely unknown effects.
Specifically, it is argued that they cause the body to produce excess amounts of
the hormone insulin, which tells the body to store rather than burn fat, hence
causing obesity and its complications (heart disease, cancer, diabetes). They
claim that humans evolved to eat a diet which consisted mainly of meat and that
the current "epidemic" of obesity is due to the popular assumption, reinforced
by the food industry and the new field of dietary medicine, that the low-fat
approach is healthier.
Supporters claim the exclusive focus on reducing fat is oversimplified, and that
low-fat diets are not automatically healthy ones. They claim that the western
world is not suffering from a collective failure of will to exercise, but has
been encouraged to eat more carbohydrates, which in turn stimulate appetite and
more eating.
The recent rise in western obesity rates has coincided with a widespread belief
in low-fat, high-carbohydrate as a healthy way of eating. By contrast
traditional, high-fat French cooking has led to a much lower incidence of
obesity, morbid obesity and chronic heart disease than the high-sugar American
diet, despite overall energy intake and exercise levels being the same.
Favorable studies
Advocates point to scientific trials demonstrating the efficacy and safety of
low carb diets. Several independent clinical trials have shown that low carb
diets can successfully be used to lose weight. These trials found that, in the
short term, risk factors for heart disease and diabetes — such as blood serum
cholesterol and insulin levels — tended to improve in spite of increased
consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol. The trials were of short duration,
and were not able to assess the long-term health effects of the diet.
A study conducted in 1965 at the Oakland (California) Naval Hospital used a diet
of 1000 calories per day, high in fat and limiting carbohydrates to 10 grams (40
calories) daily. Over a ten-day period, subjects on this diet lost more body fat
than did a group who fasted completely. (Benoit et. al. 1965). Some advocates of
low-carbohydrate diets have termed this the metabolic advantage of such diets.
Arguments against low-carbohydrate diets
Side effects
Critics contend that low carbohydrate diets are not without harmful side
effects. Very low carbohydrate consumption can lead to the metabolic state
called ketosis, which may cause headaches, tiredness, nausea, dehydration,
dizziness, and an unusual sweet-smelling breath odor. The lowered intake of
dietary fiber that often accompanies dramatically reduced carbohydrate intake
(such as in the Induction stage of the Atkins diet) can result in constipation
if not supplemented.
Replacement of calories from carbohydrates with meat may result in high
consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, which many authorities believe
will increase the risk of heart disease. Moreover, it has been hypothesised that
the kidneys can become overworked and that a related change in blood acidity can
lead to bone loss, but trials testing the hypothesis have found no evidence of
kidney damage or loss of bone.
Environmental impact
Critics of low-carbohydrate diets also point out that from an environmental
point of view an increased consumption of animal protein places a great burden
on the world's natural resources and is not sustainable. They also point out
that the explosive growth in global population over the last few centuries was
only possible because of grain crops.
Advocates of the diet counter environmental criticisms by arguing that the
majority of grain farm land was formerly poor quality pasture fit only for
raising livestock and that it has been turned to grain production only through
massive government subsidy and the use of environmentally questionable
fertilizers and pesticides.
The source of this article is
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this
article is licensed under the
GFDL
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