Can a Low Carb Diet Help You Lose Weight?

The answer to this question depends on who you ask. Diet advocates say that carbohydrates should be reduced to 20 – 30 grams per day. Considering the fact that a slice of regular white bread contains nearly 15 grams of carbs, this is a drastic reduction.

Medical researchers, on the other hand, recommend a minimum of 130 grams per day.  Who do we believe?

This is what you need to know about low-carb diets before you try one.
They will cause you to lose weight, but is it a healthy weight loss? The typical low carb diet focuses on meat, poultry, fish, and non starchy vegetables. This sounds pretty healthy, right?  Medical experts claim that the majority of dietary energy comes from carbs, and that a sharp reduction in them results in an unhealthy glucose response in the body.

Diets high in sugars and starches cause the blood sugar to rise and insulin to be produced. Excess insulin causes carbs to be stored as fat. The theory behind most low carb diets is that cutting out sugars and starches keeps insulin production down and causes the body to burn stored fat.

This is called ketosis. Simply put, if a diet is very low in sugars and starches, there is insufficient glucose to fuel the cells in the body. This causes the liver to use ketones (ketosis) and glucose from fats and proteins.

Many studies have argued back and forth about whether the body can exist in a constant state of ketosis.  Some say this is a normal state and others say this is a significant lack of nutrition.
In the first week or two of a low carb diet, a great deal of the weight loss comes from getting rid of excess water. Medical experts say that high levels of insulin in the blood cause unnecessary water retention. This is a short term effect and is different than the general weight loss caused by eliminating excess body fat.
There are some critics who claim that people on atkins diet for example cannot participate in an exercise program. They say that this type of diet causes weakness and fatigue.  There is no evidence to support this, although some people may experience this in the first few days while the body adjusts to the new eating regime.
The bottom line is that low carb diets do work as long as they are undertaken sensibly. If you focus on eating some red meats, poultry, fish, low fat dairy products, fruits and non starchy vegetables, you are automatically on a healthy low carb diet.

The weight loss may not be as fast as an extremely low carb diet may be, but you can use it safely for a long period of time.  Some people add whole grains in small amounts after they have been on the diet for awhile. This adds more fiber and nutrients for added health benefits.

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