SHOULD YOU GO
LOW CARB?
by Johnny B
BSc; ISSA Nutritionist
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Low carb diets might be the most contentious area of nutrition research today. To introduce it, we will have to consider both sides of the argument. Therefore, we will consider the following questions:
1. WHAT IS IT?
2. ARGUMENTS FOR
3. ARGUMENTS AGAINST
4. DEBATE CONCLUSIONS
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1. WHAT IS IT?
There is currently no agreed-upon definition for the terms “low carb diet”, “ketogenic” or “keto”. These terms also vary in the way they use, but they all refer to a diet that seeks to reduce or minimise carbohydrate consumption. There are numerous different forms of these low carb diets, but they all limit, minimise or prohibit grains and high carb fruits and vegetables. Recalling that the Institute of Medicine recommend that carbohydrate intake be no lower than 45% of total calorie intake, we might call a low carb diet a diet of carb content anything less than 45%.
That said, Noakes and Windt (2017) offer the following definitions:
Low carb diets: less than 26% of total energy intake from carbohydrates / less than 130g of carbohydrates a day.
Very low carb diets: less than 10% of total energy intake from carbohydrates / 20-50g of carbohydrates a day.
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ARGUMENTS FOR
Low carb diets are attractive for a number of reasons...
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1. To avoid insulin spikes...
...which is dangerous for people with diabetes or insulin resistance
When a high carb meal is consumed, carbs go into the blood in the form of glucose. If blood glucose is too high, it can be dangerously toxic (known as hyperglycaemia), so the body releases insulin, which brings blood glucose back down. Insulin spikes are dangerous for people with diabetes and/or insulin resistance.
Click here for a complete research review on low carb diets and diabetes.
Or read Why We Get Fat and What to do about it.
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2. To avoid the storing of body fat...
...which may be caused by excessive insulin spiking
Glucose can either be converted into muscle and/or liver glycogen or (especially in the case of people who might have difficulty digesting carbs, or carb intolerant), it can be stored in the form of adipose tissue, or body fat. So if insulin levels are constantly spiking, blood glucose is constantly being stored in the form of body fat.
Click here for a complete research review on low carb diets and weight loss.
Or read Why We Get Fat and What to do about it.
3. To bring the body into a state of ketosis.
“Keto” (as in kept diet) is short for “ketogenic”. It refers to a diet that puts the body in the state of ketosis in which the body’s reliance on fat as an energy source is substantially greater than usual, and is releasing chemicals called ketones, which enhance fat oxidation, overall respiratory efficiency and has been linked with therapeutic effects in heart failure, non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease, neurological and neurodegenerative disease and epilepsy.
Importantly, ketosis can only be achieved through very low carb intake. That means consuming less than 50g of carbohydrates a day.
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To learn more about ketosis read the Art and Science of Low Carb Living and the Art and Science of Low Carb Performance.
4. Low carb diets have been associated with a number of positive effects.
These positive effects include:
Weight loss (see research)
Improvements in diabetes-related health (see research)
Ready to give it a shot?
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Check out these awesome resources...
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WHY NOT DO IT?
Low carb diets involve 2-3 weeks of adaptation while the body gets accustomed to this drastically new eating pattern. This adaptation period involves cravings, gastrointestinal discomfort, headaches and lethargy.
1. Increased fat intake
Low carb intake often results in higher consumption of animal products, which increases fat intake. Saturated fat intake may be linked with impaired heart health and higher fat intake may be linked with impaired diabetes-related health.
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2. “Cheating” becomes more dangerous on high fat diets
Perhaps the most popular low carb diet is the low carb high-fat diet. “Cheating” with very sugary junk food while consuming large amounts of fat is exceptionally dangerous. The combination of high carb and high fat intake is the most dangerous diet available.
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3. It is still unclear whether or not low carb diets are safe for heart health (see full review)
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4. Reduced fibre intake
Fibre is associated with numerous health benefits, including reductions in insulin spiking. High fibre foods often have a lot of nutrients and not a lot of calories compared to the number of times you can chew it. So with high fibre foods you can chew and swallow and fill your stomach with a lot of “stuff” and not consume a lot of calories.
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5. Reduced fruit and veg intake
To reduce carbohydrate intake to the level that allows for ketosis (less than 50g a day), it substantially limits the number of vegetables you can eat in a day, even if low carb vegetables are being used. There are 3 problems with this:
It is in general unfavourable to reduce vitamin and mineral intake
If it is attempted to bring carb intake lower than 50g, it's difficult to even meet all of the minimum daily requirements
This might be seen as a step away from all of the benefits associated with plant-based diets.
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CONCLUSIONS ON THE DEBATE
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The evidence supporting the short-term effectiveness of low carb diets in reducing body has become somewhat overwhelming.
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There is still sharp disagreement among medical experts regarding whether or not it is safe to recommend to large populations of people
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National health authorities are still promoting more traditional, plant-based, lower fat, higher carb diets
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Individuals who choose to try low carb diets do so at somewhat of a risk
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However, since this issue is debated by respected academics and practitioners, it could be argued that risk is taken either way: high carb or low carb.
Ready to give it a shot?
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Dr Jockers Navigating the Keto Diet
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Disclaimer: I make no claim on the effectiveness of any of these systems to yield any of the results they claim to make. I’m recommending them because I think that they are scientifically justified and that some of the best offers in the industry.