Articles: Weight Loss

Problems With the Low Carb Diet

In recent years, low carb diets have become a very popular way to lose weight. What distinguishes these diets is that they limit carbohydrate intake and require that about 30% to 50% of total calories come from protein. There are definite problems with the low carb diets, and studies have proven that these diets have a negative affect on the body.

How Do Low Carb Diets Work?

Low carb diets give the impression that they work, because when the body is restricted of carbohydrates, it uses stored glucose from the muscles and liver. As, this happens, the body urinates more often, which gives the appearance of fast weight loss. However, the problem with this is that the weight lost, is actually just water weight.

When the body runs out of glucose, the body begins to burn its own fat for fuel. When this happens, the body goes into a state of ketosis. Normally, when a dieter enters this state, their body tends to feel less hungry. Thus, food intake becomes limited. Although, to the average dieter, this might seem like a good thing, ketosis is actually a very unhealthy state, which can cause serious health problems.

Problems with a Low Carb Diet Program

When the body enters the state of ketosis, problems begin to arise such as: headaches, irritability, nausea, light headedness, and bad breath. A continued state of ketosis will lead to dehydration, strain on the kidneys, and ultimately kidney failure.

Also, low carb diets tend to restrict fruits and vegetables from the diet because of the carbohydrates they contain. Instead, the dieter is expected to eat more protein. However, the American Heart Association, the National Cholesterol Education Program, and the American Cancer Society all suggest that a diet should have a small percentage of calories come from protein.

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They make this suggestion because, high protein diets have been linked to a number of health problems including: osteoporosis, kidney stones, an unhealthy metabolic state (also know as ketosis), cancer, high cholesterol, and kidney failure. Furthermore, the body cannot receive the antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals it needs without eating fruits and vegetables. Not, only do these plant chemicals help the body on an everyday basis, but they also provide protection against dangerous diseases, such as cancer.

Another problem with low carb diets is that they tend to be monotonous, and the majority of users cannot stay on the diet for a prolonged period of time. Even, if the dieter could stay on the diet for a prolonged period of time it would be too dangerous. These diets are not meant for long-term use, because it is not safe for a person to continue to eat a restricted diet. This creates another problem for when the dieter finally comes off the diet. When they stop restricting foods from their diet they regain the lost weight, and usually put on more, because the body was put in a state of ketosis.

American Heart Association Nutrition Committee Science Advisory Warning

The Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association stated that high protein diets do not promote long-term weight loss and may even pose a risk to cardiovascular health. The committee stated the following about high protein diets that restrict carbohydrates:

* Such diets may produce short-term weight loss through dehydration.
* Weight loss may also occur through caloric restriction resulting from the fact that the diets are relatively unpalatable.
* The high fat content may be harmful to the cardiovascular system in the long run. The breakdown of fatty acids that occurs during ketosis may increase the risk of heart disease.
* Any improvement in blood cholesterol levels and insulin management would be due to weight loss, not the change in composition.
* A very high-protein diet is especially risky for patients with diabetes because it can speed the progression of diabetic kidney disease.

The American Heart Association recommends a daily dietary balance of about:

* 15 percent of calories from protein
* 30 percent from fat
* 55 percent from carbohydrates

Combine this diet with regular exercise, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking, every day to achieve healthy weight loss and long-term cardiovascular health. (American Heart Association, October 2001.)

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