9 myths about low-carb diets

The low-carb diet has both its admirers and people who consider them harmful. The article will consider 9 myths that have developed around this nutrition system.

Myth 1: A low-carb diet is newfangled.

In years past, opponents of the low-carb diet saw it as just another fad that would be quickly forgotten. However, contrary to this opinion, the nutrition system has firmly entered the world of dietology and entrenched itself in it for a long time. This became possible due to the fact that its effectiveness has been proven by scientists. They have conducted over 20 studies that have established that a low-carb diet really works.

Robert Atkins published his first guide to dietetics back in 1972. This happened 5 years before the first collection of recommendations for compiling a low-carb diet menu appeared in the United States.

Therefore, it is fundamentally wrong to regard this nutrition system as an innovation that will soon be forgotten. It has been around for decades and has millions of followers around the world.

Myth 2: A low-carb diet is hard to follow.

There is an opinion that it is difficult to stick to a low-carb diet due to significant restrictions on the menu. Opponents of this nutrition system argue that constant deprivation will sooner or later provoke a breakdown.

In fact, a low-carb diet involves cutting out certain foods. However, there is not a single diet that would allow you to eat anything. A losing weight person still needs to limit himself in some way. Sometimes you have to cut your daily caloric intake, and sometimes you have to give up your usual food.

A distinctive characteristic of a low-carbohydrate diet is that it helps to dull the feeling of hunger. Therefore, a person who adheres to such a menu eats up and at the same time loses weight. ^[1], ^[2]. If you compare a low-carb diet with a low-calorie food system, then its advantages are obvious. When limiting the daily caloric content, a person will always experience hunger, and when limiting the daily dose of carbohydrates, he will not starve.

19 studies were analyzed. In each of these, people followed a low-carbohydrate diet and a low-fat diet. It was possible to establish that most of the participants reached the end precisely in those groups that cut carbohydrates in their menu (79,51% of the subjects), and not fats (77,72% of the participants). The difference in percentage is not great, but it is still present. Therefore, the claim that a low-carb diet is difficult to follow can be considered a myth. ^[15].

Myth 3: weight loss occurs due to the removal of water from the body

The body stores carbohydrates in the liver and muscles. Glucose is stored in them as glycogen. The body uses it as an energy source in between meals. Glycogen has the ability to attract water.

Refusal of carbohydrate foods leads to the fact that glycogen stores in the muscles and in the liver begin to decline. Therefore, the body loses water. In parallel, the level of insulin in the blood falls. This provokes an increased work of the kidneys, which remove fluid and electrolytes from the body.

Therefore, following a low-carbohydrate diet provokes rapid fluid excretion. However, this does not mean that weight loss is achieved only due to the departed water, studies show that they also lead to a greater reduction in body fat, especially in the abdomen. ^[3].

In contrast, there are scientists who followed people on a low-carbohydrate diet for 6 weeks. They managed to record that during this time they lost 3,5 kg of fat, but gained 1,1 kg of muscle ^[4].

Moreover, removing excess water from the body is good for health. Therefore, using this fact as an argument against a low-carbohydrate diet is inappropriate. Few people want to carry 4-5 kg ​​of excess liquid in themselves just like that.

Weight with a low-carb diet really decreases. Its loss occurs due to a decrease in fat reserves in the liver and in the abdominal cavity.

Myth 4: Low-carb diets are bad for the heart.

A low-carbohydrate diet involves eating foods that are high in fat and cholesterol. Therefore, it is believed that compliance with such a nutrition system harms the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of developing cardiopathologies.

However, recent research suggests that saturated fat and cholesterol from foods do not increase the risk of heart disease. ^[5], ^[6].

Moreover, there is evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet improves many vital signs of the body. ^[7]. Compliance with such a menu leads to a decrease in triglycerides and LDL (bad cholesterol), as well as an increase in HDL (good cholesterol). In humans, blood pressure returns to normal, insulin resistance decreases ^[8]. These data are generalized, that is, such results were obtained in the majority of the examined people.

However, all studies focus on averages, but there are also those in whom LDL levels, on the contrary, increased when following a low-carbohydrate diet. Such patients need to pay special attention to their health.

Myth 5: A low-carb diet will help you lose weight by restricting calories.

There is an opinion that weight loss on a low-carb diet occurs only due to calorie restriction. In fact, this is not the only factor leading to getting rid of fat reserves.

A low-carb diet suppresses the feeling of hunger, so a person consumes smaller servings than before. He does not need to calculate the calorie content of dishes. While adherents of low-fat diets, on the contrary, are forced to deal with these tedious calculations, as they suffer from an excruciating feeling of hunger all the time. They lose 2 or even 3 times less weight than people on a low-carbohydrate diet ^[9].

The undoubted advantage of a carbohydrate-restricted diet is its health benefits. In addition to losing weight, a person’s risks of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and epilepsy are reduced. ^[10].

Due to the fact that less carbohydrates and more proteins enter the body, all metabolic processes are accelerated. The fat is gone, but the muscles are not destroyed.

Myth 6: A low-carb diet leads to the rejection of healthy plant-based foods.

A low-carbohydrate diet does not imply a complete rejection of carbohydrate foods. Their consumption is reduced, but not eliminated. You can include berries, nuts, seeds in your menu. The daily intake of carbohydrates in the body should be 50 g. Moreover, even 100-150 g of carbohydrates per day is still the norm. Therefore, a person can safely eat a few pieces of fruit a day. Even such starchy foods as oatmeal and potatoes are allowed to enter the menu.

A properly composed diet will provide the body with the necessary amount of fiber, vitamins and trace elements. All low-carbohydrate diets allow you to eat vegetables and other healthy foods.

Myth 7: Ketoacidosis develops on a low-carbohydrate diet.

If a person consumes less than 50 g of carbohydrates per day, he experiences a drop in the level of insulin in the blood, and fat cells begin to actively break down. This leads to the accumulation of fatty acids in the liver, which it begins to transform into ketone bodies.

Ketones have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier in order to provide the brain with energy during hunger strikes. Many people misunderstand the two terms “ketosis” and “ketoacidosis”.

Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition that develops in people with type 1 diabetes. In a patient, the level of ketones in the blood rises sharply, which leads to its acidification. Ketoacidosis is a direct threat to life and can cause death.

Ketosis has nothing to do with ketoacidosis. Especially when it comes to ketosis, which develops against the background of a diet. When following a low-carb menu, this state is natural and indicates a proper metabolism.

It has been experimentally proven that ketosis has a therapeutic effect on the body of people suffering from epilepsy. Active work is underway to study the therapeutic effect of ketosis on brain tumors and Alzheimer’s disease. ^[11]. Therefore, do not confuse ketosis with formidable ketoacidosis.

Myth 8: On a low-carb diet, the brain suffers from a lack of glucose.

There is a common misconception that the brain cannot function properly if a person receives little carbohydrate from food. It is believed that a person should receive at least 130 g of net carbohydrates per day. Otherwise, he will not be able to think normally.

To some extent, these statements are true. Some brain cells can only get nutrition from carbohydrates. However, other cells are able to use ketones as an energy source. If the body receives little carbohydrate, then most of the brain stops using glucose as the main stimulant and switches to feeding on ketones.

The body has another way to get carbohydrates. It is called gluconeogenesis. When there are few of them with food, the liver begins to synthesize glucose from protein products and from fats.

Thanks to the launch of such adaptive mechanisms, a person can do without a single gram of carbohydrates, which, of course, does not happen on a diet.

It is possible that in the first days after the transition to a new nutrition system, some weakness and fatigue may be observed. However, after an adaptation period, everything will return to normal.

Myth 9: Diet leads to decreased performance

Indeed, immediately after switching to a new menu, performance may decrease. However, after a few days, the body adapts. Processes will start, thanks to which the source of energy will be not carbohydrates, but fats.

Numerous studies suggest that low-carbohydrate diets increase the body’s endurance when playing sports. ^[12], ^[13]. However, it is not recommended to load the body immediately from the first days of the diet. You need to give him time to adapt. It can take from several days to several weeks.

There are also studies showing that low-carbohydrate diets have a beneficial effect on muscle mass and strength. ^[14].

Conclusion

So, a low-carb diet can benefit the body. It is recommended for people with obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. You should not consider a low-carb diet as a ready-made solution for all health problems. Each person’s body is unique. Therefore, before deciding to make adjustments to your menu, you need to consult with a specialist.

Low carb diets include:

• Pulse protein-vegetable diet

• Maggi Diet

• Kremlin diet

• Non-carbohydrate diet