Low Carb Diet - The Truth and the Lies

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Overall from the few large scale experiments that were ran there were a few conclusions that can be supported by the data. Firstly, that low-carb diets that did not have any caloric restriction were at least as effective as fat and calorie restricted diets for slimming. Those that were on the low-carb diet showed the same level of LDL and HDL cholesterol numbers after 6 months. Those that followed the low-carb diets actually had lower levels of triglycerides in their system and also showed improved systolic blood pressure. This evidence in these studies seem to go against the normal notion that low-carb diets which are high in protein and fat are bad for your cardiovascular system. One group of people showed marked improvement risk against coronary heart disease. Middle aged women showed the most improvements compared to other groups and almost reduced their risk of coronary heart disease by half compared to only slight improvement in other groups.

Other Controversies and Sticking Points

One of the common controversies that has plagued low-carb diets is that many nutritionists and medical professionals against it will point that the majority of the weight loss will actually come from water weight rather than fat weight loss. It is true that the first few weeks of most programs dieters will see significant losses in weight. Part of the weight is indeed from water but over time the bodies would already have been drained of its access water and thus any weight loss after the first few weeks cannot have water weight counted in the equation. Doctors agree that the high levels on insulin in our diets causes our bodies to retain water unnecessarily.

Some people against the concept of low-carb diets will also point to the lack of energy that low-carb diets are afflicted with. This is especially true when dieters are also recommended and exercise regiment to follow. They will say that the low energy that the diet causes makes it almost impossible for people to exercise efficiently and sometimes even safely. Low-card diet believers however say that the low energy that some dieters experience will only last a couple of days as your body will learn to adapt to burning fat efficiently for energy. After that you will have the same level of energy that you have previously so are more than able to take up an effective exercise regime.

Critics will also point to low-carb diets being negative towards the consumption of vegetables and fruits. The lack of vegetables and fruits in one’s diet can rob the body of important vitamins and minerals. Some critics would even go as far as to label all vegetables and fruits to be a sort of carbohydrate because they all contain sugar which is one of the control foods in most low-carb diets. The fact is that fruits are slightly higher in sugars but the majority of diets still allow them in moderation. Most leafy vegetables are in-fact very low in carbohydrate and can normally be eaten without much worry about increasing your carbohydrate intake substantially. What has to be controlled is intake of vegetables that are high in carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and corn.

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