The concept of low-carb dieting has been around for over a hundred years. Only in the last few decades have medicine and science begun to validate the claims and principles behind a low-carb lifestyle. While controversy still surrounds the diet, most of the controversy deals with misconceptions by those practicing the diet.
History of Low-Carb Diets
Low-Carb Diet plans go back as far as 1862 to an article titled "Letter of Corpulence" by a man named Andy Davies. Davies did profess to have no medical knowledge, but rather discussed how a low-carb lifestyle had helped him. Not until Atkins in 1972, however, did low-carb dieting gain medical backing. Since the Atkins Diet reached prominence in the mid-90s, many other variations of low-carb dieting have been published.
What are Carbohydrates?
Simply stated, carbohydrates are sugars. They are broken down in the liver and converted to glucose, which is the main source of energy for your body. Carbohydrates are segregated into one of two classes--simple or complex--depending upon how easily your body can absorb and utilize them. Examples of simple carbohydrates include sugars from fruits, milk products and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are made up of whole grain breads and cereals, starchy vegetables and legumes.
A Calorie is a Calorie?
Traditional nutrition science takes the stance that a calorie is a calorie, whether it is a fat calorie, a protein calorie or a carbohydrate calorie. Hence it does not really matter what type of food you are consuming, it only matters the total quantity. Any excess calories are converted to fat. A pound of fat equates to 3500 calories, so to lose weight you would have to create a deficit between diet and calorie burn (either from food consumption or exercise). This supposed law of nutrition has come under fire in the last decade as more empirical evidence seems to disprove this long-standing belief. Studies do indicate that diets low in carbohydrate consumption as opposed to diets of equal calories that include more carbohydrates do promote a healthier lifestyle. At present, scientists still have not been able to account for the phenomenon.
How Low-Carb Dieting Makes You Lose Weight
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are four factors that relate to weight loss when on a low-carb diet. The first factor is loss of water weight caused by an increased level of glycogen burn. Burning glycogen leads to a release of stored water which will cause loss of weight. The second factor is decreased appetite, although science is still not certain why this occurs. The third factor is increased feeling of fullness associated with the increased consumption of foods laden with protein and fat. Proteins and fats are slower to digest than carbohydrates, thus they make a person feel full quicker and longer. The final factor deals with a reduction of calorie intake. By simply reducing the type and amount of carbohydrates a person eats, he will naturally eat fewer calories. With these combined factors, most people lose weight on a low-carb diet faster than they do on other diets.
Misconceptions and Warnings
A common misconception of low-carb dieting is that you can eat whatever you want so long as you do not eat foods heavy in carbohydrates. Another misconception is that low-carb means no carb. Both misconceptions are false and can be very dangerous to the dieter. No credible low-carb diet advocates the complete removal of carbohydrates, or eating anything that you want. Eating nothing but bacon or other foods heavy in saturated fats would be a quick ticket to the cardiologist. What low-carb dieting does advocate universally is being cognizant of the type and amount of carbohydrates that you are consuming, and seeking to be healthier about choices when it comes to eating carbohydrates.
Tags: low-carb dieting, amount carbohydrates, deals with, foods heavy, have been, low-carb diet