There is no denying the current popularity of low carbohydrate diets. Chances are, you, or someone you know, has tried one. Atkins, South Beach, The Zone, Protein Power….There is a long list to choose from. But do they really work? What are the long term health consequences of these diets? Lets discuss a little bit about that.
Low-carb diets range from extreme to moderate. Some of the more extreme approaches like the South Beach diet, a carbohydrate level of 20 to 30 g per day during their initial stages. The current Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA) for carbohydrates a minimum of 130 g per day, with most people eating well over 200g per day. More moderate diets, like The Zone, suggest carbohydrates represent 40 percent of calories (the current recommendation ranges from 45 to 65 percent), balanced with protein and fat at every meal. Many low-carb diets allow unlimited amounts of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, some non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, and other fats. Some allow small amounts of fruits, dairy, and whole grains. Processed carbohydrates, like breads, pastas, cereals, and sugary foods, are restricted.
How the diet works?
The premise behind low-carbohydrate diets is that carbohydrate foods stimulate production of insulin, the hormone that is responsible for transporting glucose into cells, where it is used for energy, with excess amounts being stored as fat. Since protein-rich foods do not cause the same rise in insulin levels, substituting them for carbohydrate foods promotes the use of stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss.
Low-carb diets range from extreme to moderate. Some of the more extreme approaches like the South Beach diet, a carbohydrate level of 20 to 30 g per day during their initial stages. The current Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA) for carbohydrates a minimum of 130 g per day, with most people eating well over 200g per day. More moderate diets, like The Zone, suggest carbohydrates represent 40 percent of calories (the current recommendation ranges from 45 to 65 percent), balanced with protein and fat at every meal. Many low-carb diets allow unlimited amounts of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, some non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, and other fats. Some allow small amounts of fruits, dairy, and whole grains. Processed carbohydrates, like breads, pastas, cereals, and sugary foods, are restricted.
Although we don’t yet fully understand the implications of low-carb diets, we are beginning to get a better picture of pros and cons of this weight loss approach as we move further. Lets talk about that in a bit more detail in our next post.
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