As the name suggests, this type of diet is based on limiting carbohydrate intake. These are organic chemicals found in food. Carbohydrates are also called saccharides or sugars and are divided into simple, disaccharides and complex sugars. What are the pros and cons of a low carb diet?
According to the recommendations of dieticians, the consumption of sugars should be 60% of the daily energy supply. This means 300 to 400 grams per day for an adult. More and more often it is said that the culprit of the growing overweight among the society are sugars, not fats – such an assumption is based, for example, on the Dukan’s Diet. In this type of diet, carbohydrates are limited to 100g per day, and replaced with fats, proteins, vegetables and fruits with a low carbohydrate content.
This method, called a reduction diet, has been used by bodybuilders for years. Before you decide on such a diet, it is worth knowing its advantages and disadvantages, and remember that each body is different, so some people will not function well with this way of eating and will not benefit from it.
Where are the carbohydrates?
Based on the food pyramid, we should primarily avoid carbohydrates from the group of simple sugars – white bread, sweets, refined sugar, confectionery. The rest of the carbohydrates are often called the “main fuel for the body” and according to standard nutrition rules, we should not give them up.
Simple sugars that occur naturally in food, e.g. in fruit, are quickly digested, so they do not threaten health and figure, although of course you can not overdo it. Complex carbohydrates, i.e. whole grain products, are often recommended for healthy slimming diets – they have many valuable ingredients and fill you up for a long time.
Benefits of a low-carb diet:
- It causes rapid weight loss,
- Reduces glucose fluctuations,
- Changes the proportions of cholesterol in favor of “good”,
- It has a positive effect on insulin sensitivity.
Disadvantages of a low-carb diet:
- In the first days, it can cause side effects – drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea,
- It can lead to an increase in triglycerides in the blood, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis (although it lowers bad cholesterol …),
- With such a diet, dietary fiber deficiencies are common, resulting in constipation,
- Causes a risk of metabolic acidosis because it lacks L-carnitine and the Q-10 enzyme,
- Carbohydrate deficiency causes ion loss and protein breakdown.