Low carb diets have become very popular in recent years. So do they work?
The basic idea of the low carb diet is that you avoid eating foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates. The high carb food will be replaced with foods high in protein and fat. That's right swap that cereal for a greasy pile of bacon and you'll be losing weight in no time! Sounds quite appealing especially if you're a meat lover.
Promises of the low carb diet
Stay full for longer
One of the promises made by people in favour of low carb diets is that you will stay full for longer after eating a meal high in protein and fat. If this is the case it would reduce the temptation to snack between meals. This claim certain seems plausible given that it takes you a lot more time to digest protein and fat than it does to digest carbohydrates.
Low Glycemic Index
Many of you will have heard of the supposed benefits of eating food with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index is basically a measurement of how quickly the sugar will hit your blood stream after consuming the food. The higher the glycemic index (GI) the quicker your blood sugar levels will be raised. The theory is that if your blood sugar levels get too high your body will begin to produce insulin which is a chemical that among other things causes the body to begin converting the sugar into fat. Sugars have a higher glycemic index than other carbohydrates. You have most likely experienced this in the form of a "sugar rush" directly after eating something sweet, this is usually quickly followed by the "sugar crash" which is when the body switches over to fat storage mode.
So there are obviously some benefits to avoiding high GI foods, even if it doesn't help you lose weight you'll be able to avoid the "sugar crash". You can of course eat carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index, I've certainly never experienced a "rice rush". This is because complex carbohydrates like rice, pasta and potato are converted into sugar more slowly.
Build Muscle
Stronger, larger muscles help you to lose fat by raising your metabolism so that you can burn more calories all day long - even while you're sleeping. Seeing as protein is required to build muscle many people theorise that eating extra protein will help to increase your muscle mass. For this reason extremely high protein diets are very popular in the body building world.
Potential Downfalls of the low carb Diet
Cholesterol
To get sufficient calories on a low carb plan you generally end up consuming a lot more fat. If these are saturated fats then you're in danger of raising your cholesterol and increasing your chance of heart disease.
Low in vitamins
If you're avoiding carbohydrates you will almost certainly have to lower your intake of fruits and vegetables. This leaves you vunerable to deficiencies in a variety of different vitamins and minerals that are essential for maintaing optimal health.
The Final Conclusion
I say be conservative, if you consume really high levels of carbohydrates then you may want to cut back on those, replacing them with protein or fats if you need to keep your calorie intake up or to keep your appetite under control. There is some evidence to suggest that you will lose weight on a low carb diet but it's not worth taking risks with your health to do it.
