Sports Nutrition > Low Carb Diets
Low Carb Diets
Low-carb diets are currently the hot trend among dieters. The diets most representative of the low-carb diets are the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet. Low-carb diets are known for their claims of causing rapid weight loss in the space of as little as two weeks. They are also known for not banning fats and meats from their approved foods list.
While low-carb diets have risen to prominence recently, they have actually existed since history began. Before the Agricultural Revolution, Paleolithic humans existed on a mainly carnivorous diet, which was low in carbohydrates and high in protein. Since then, low-carb diets have existed mainly as a holistic diet option. However, they have occasionally surfaced throughout history. Most notably, the Johns Hopkins Medical Center used low-carb diets to treat epilepsy in the 1920s.
The basis for these diets is how carbohydrate consumption affects blood sugar and insulin. Reduction of carbohydrates puts the body into a state called ketosis, which results after the body has exhausted its storage of glucose. This forces the liver to convert fats and proteins to ketones and glucose, thus causing the body to burn fat.
Low-carb diets have been subject to intense amounts of criticism. One criticism is that ketosis is an unnatural condition that damages both muscle tissue and the liver. Another criticism is that consuming foods that are high in fat will lead to clogged arteries and heart disease, as well as high cholesterol. In addition, low-carb dieters may also suffer from constipation.
The effectiveness of low-carb diets has also been called into question. Critics claim that much of the weight lost is due to water weight, and that true fat loss occurs no faster than any other diet.
Until recently, the food industry reacted strongly to the low-carb diet trend. Many companies, such as pasta and pastry manufacturers experienced a drop in sales during the heyday of low-carb diets. However, other companies rushed to take full advantage of the low-carb diet trend. Low-carbohydrate foods appeared on shelves almost overnight, while naturally low-carbohydrate foods began advertising the fact. Many companies replaced wheat flour with soy, and sugar with artificial sweete. Even though the industry has more-or-less collapsed, several low-carbohydrate foods and energy bars still exist.
Although low-carb diets have been controversial, they have their supporters. These supporters believe that the diet is not only effective, but it is also the “natural” way the human body should operate, and that the Agricultural Revolution disrupted the body’s functions.
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