One of the newest health trends is a low-carb diet, which promises quick results and the most health benefits. These days, many dietitians recommend low-carb diets. Every day, there appears to be a new fad diet that takes away another important nutrient. Today, we will talk about the pros and cons of a low-carbohydrate diet and how, depending on your genes, it may or may not be good for you.
What is a low-carb diet?
By definition, a low-carb diet is any eating plan that tells you to eat fewer carbohydrates. Over the years, much health research has shown that eating fewer carbs can help you lose weight and keep your health in good shape.
Carbohydrates: the deciding factor
As of right now, there are a lot of different low-carb diets available to the public. The main difference between them is how many carbohydrates you can eat. For instance, some low-carb diets suggest cutting back on high-carb foods that aren’t very healthy, like sugary drinks, sweet junk food, pastries, pieces of bread, white rice, and pasta.
Some low-carb diets are so strict that they even tell you to eat fewer vegetables, fruits, and legumes. In extreme cases, the regime only lets people eat a few vegetables and fruits. The amount of carbs you eat also makes a difference.
According to dietary guidelines, people should get between 45% and 65% of their daily calories from carbs. Eating about 45% of your daily carb calories is the easiest way to follow a low-carb diet. For the least strict low-carb diet, the carbs you eat daily could be as low as 10%.
Additional Limiting Factors
The main difference between all the diets is the number of calories they allow you to eat. With one end of the range, some diets have no rules about how many calories you can eat. People who follow that plan can eat as many calories as they want. On either end of the scale, people can only eat a few calories daily.
Who should not follow a strict low-carb diet?
Most healthy people can follow a low-carb diet that isn’t too strict. A strict low-carb diet, in which you eat very few carbs, is not good for people who:
- A Disease of the liver and kidneys
- Have a background of liver and kidney problems in your family
- Have a health problem that makes them more likely to go into ketosis
- And have low blood sugar levels most of the time
- Have a certain disease of the metabolism,
- suffer from high blood pressure that is very bad
- Are you taking certain drugs that affect the level of blood sugar and ketone
Even if you’re healthy and don’t fit in the above situations, it is best to talk to your family doctor and do a body check before starting a diet plan.
Pros of a low-carb diet
Weight Loss
Most people who want to lose weight choose to eat fewer carbs. Studies have shown that cutting back on carbohydrates and eating more protein and fat tends to work. People still argue about why they lost, yet there are two main ideas.
First, fats and proteins fill you up longer than carbs. Second, diets that are low in carbs burn calories faster than diets that are high in carbs. Again, these are only theories, and the reasons why people get different results can depend on many things, including their genes.
Raise levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
Since low-carb diets seem to be high in fat, the “good” cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), which decreases your risk of heart disease, goes up.
Lowers glucose and insulin levels in the blood
Studies have demonstrated that when you stop eating carbs, your blood sugar, as well as insulin levels drop by a lot. Going low-carb can also help you eat less processed foods and sugars, and you can choose from a few different kinds, which can be helpful.
Cons of a Low-Carb Diet
Keto Flu
Some people get the “keto flu,” which includes things like diarrhea, feeling tired, cramps, and headaches.
Nutrient Deficiencies
If you only eat a few types of food, you might not get enough micronutrients, especially if a person doesn’t eat as much fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.
Inadequate Fiber Intake
Many people on a low-carb diet don’t get enough fiber because most foods high in fiber are also high in carbs. This could cause constipation and hurt the microbiome in the gut. Also, restrictive diets such as the low-carb diet aren’t for everyone and can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.
Conclusion
We hope this article will help you find your way around the most popular low-carbohydrate diets on the market. We don’t think it’s fair for online articles to say which plan is superior to the others. Instead, we think it should depend on the reader’s health and dietary needs. And the ultimate verdict should be up to the readers and their medical team.
This article aims to show the best and worst parts of each plan. Since no plan is ideal for everyone, you can quickly narrow down your options by reviewing the list of questions and trying to match your needs to the best plan. But before you start a new diet plan, make sure to talk to your doctor first.
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