Are Low-Carb Diets Safe?

Today's Joe Public is bombarded with weight-loss advertising. The low-carb variety is no exception. From celebrities to your Aunt Mabel and fitness-conscious professionals too, carb-curbing claims are everywhere on the internet and TV. Millions around the world are turning to this "new" diet in the hope of losing weight - "they work so fast" - (and keeping it off).

This should be great news. Finally, there's an easy diet plan you can lose weight with yet still eat lots of food, as long as you cut out the carbs. But is there a dark side to no-carb that's less publicized. Is a good thing in one area (losing weight) going to be offset in another (unintended health effects)?

People love to get something for nothing and this holds true for weight-loss. However, there is no miracle cure for bad nutritional habits. Our society likes instant gratification, and the low-carb diet plan gets an "A" on that score...one of the things that makes them so appealing. And there are more - lowering cholesterol, controlling diabetes or even stopping it from developing in some people. Many followers of a low-carb diet plan have reported this so they're not advertising puffery.

It is true that much of the weight lost is muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate), and that weight-loss from water not fat is not good for the body. Also, the body relies on free fatty acids for fuel when muscle glycogen is depleted, so the body relies on amino acids (protein) from the breakdown of lean (muscle) tissue as well. So, while you may be burning fat, you will also burn muscle too (and your heart is also a muscle). And last, carb-less dieters have lower energy (less sugar or pasta intake) and are therefore tire from exercise more quickly.

Current medical thinking says you need carbohydrates for your brain, heart, muscles and other vital organs. Brain and central nervous system fuel is glucose, usually obtained from carbohydrates. If the body suddenly doesn't have carbohydrates, it changes to an alternate source (ketones) by burning through fatty acids. The ketones build up in the blood stream causing ketosis (side effect is bad breath and unpleasant body odors). Initial weight loss is not from fat but increased urination due to the kidneys trying to rid the body of excess ketones.

On low carb diets, blood becomes more acidic, which introduce side effects such as headaches (dehydration), dizziness, tiredness and constipation (insufficient fiber). The reduction of calories from carbohydrates replaced with calories from meat may increase both saturated fat and cholesterol - increasing your chances of getting heart disease (meat on a low-carb diet must be lean - which tends to be more expensive to buy). And be aware that not every carbohydrate makes you fat, consuming more calories than you burn is what makes you fat, so it would appear that the simplest plan would be to increase your exercise and decrease your bad-food intake - but that is far easier said than done.

In conclusion, the fast loss of overall body weight within a short time-frame of a low-carb diet is no substitute for sticking to a sound nutritional plan combined with an exercise plan that's tailored to you.

Personally, I have lost 55lbs in 4 months thanks to a low-carb program called The Dukan Diet. In order to keep myself on it, and remember the journey, I chronicled my weight loss success in a diary. There's a free report there to help someone get into the right "success" mindset on a new diet, and you will also find details of the top 10 most popular diets today and a comparison of the 3 most followed low carb options.

How Low-Carb Diets Work

Dieting appears to be a constant activity for both women and men today. If it's not a compulsion, it sure feels like one. Most everyone I know is on a diet either to lose weight, and/or improve their health. The low carb diets are becoming ever more popular and varied.

Interestingly, overweight people are not the only group engaged in low carb dieting. Healthy folks, at or around their "true" weight, are looking to also maintain or increase their vitality, energy... even mental acuity by following at least the basics of these high-protein regimens.

Many doctors and nutritionists are starting to recognize the low carb diet as being the best type of diet to attack the root cause of obesity, high cholesterol, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

There are many variations, including the Protein Power, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, NeanderThin, The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program, Life Without Bread, The Dukan Diet, and many more. All of these iterations have this in common: a strict reduction in the consumption of carbohydrates.

Generally, dieters are advised to replace the carbohydrates with fats and/or proteins. They must get at least 60-70% of their calorie consumption from fat (in Dukan's case, forcing the body to burn its own stored fat). Carbohydrate intake may be as little as 5%, or even 0% during the Dukan Diet's initial "Attack Phase".

Some of the low carb programs allow fruit, others do not in the first phases: Dukan is one such program. Vegetables are allowed on alternate days on the Dukan Diet. This can be a problem for folks who love a full plate, rich in variety. Spaghetti squash is an excellent substitute for pasta, and cauliflower covers a tasty mashed potato. Pureed vegetables can provide lovely sauces, too. Red peppers, a little onion and low sodium beef broth will gourmet-ize any lump of meat!

On most of the popular low-carb diets, you may eat until you are full, so long as you eat only what the regimen permits. Some low carbohydrate programs' permissible foods list include meats, fish, poultry, and cheese, which are then coupled with a limited amount of green vegetables. That may make them perfect for you if you like meat or fish.

It's a comfortable diet, if you don't mind a little bad breath and occasional constipation, because, with all that protein, you will always feel full! Plus, the lack of carbs means that the diet will work quickly. Removing carbs from your daily meal plan burns fat much faster than taking the slow route with a purely low-fat, calorie-counting program.

The other peculiarity with low carb diets is that if you cheat, or fall off the wagon, there are a full three days to work through until you start losing weight again.

If you have an interest in learning more about The Dukan Diet, I have chronicled my own weight loss success in a diary. On that site, you will also find details of the top 10 most popular diets today and a comparison of the 3 most followed low carb options.