Low Carb Diets

: 24 February 2012; Hits: 5548; Rating:

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One of the most popular diets these days is the low-carb diet that is high in protein and low in carbs, like those promoted by "The Atkins Diet Revolution," "Enter The Zone," and "Sugar Busters," just to name a few. With all the diets out there and this latest low-carb trend, you may be wondering: Do carbs really make you fat?

If you're confused about carbohydrates, you're not alone. Carbs are one of the six nutrients used by the body for energy and 1 gram=4 calories. Carbs are important because they:

Are the main main source of fuel for the body
Are quickly and easily used by the body for energy
Can be stored in the muscles for exercise
Provide lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber
Help your body function properly without fatigue

The trick is to choose the right kinds of carbs and, of course, eat a reasonable amount of them. Too many carbs (or too much of anything, really) can be stored as fat.

So what is 'low-carb'?

The National Academy of Sciences recommends no less than 120 grams of carbs per day
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 300 grams of carbs per 2000 calories (about 60% of total calories)
The Atkins Diet initially recommends 20 grams per day (less than 5%)

While we don't know which, if any, recommendation is right, recent studies in the New England Journal of Medicine report that participants who successfully followed low-carb plans for six months lost more weight than those who ate low-fat. Those on the Atkins diet raised their levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol.

Note: Almost half the participants dropped out of their programs and, after a year, the Atkin's followers regained up to a third of the pounds they lost.

There's no question that people lose weight on low-carb diets, but extreme low carb dieting, such as the Atkins diet, can be nutritionally deficient and hard to follow. The best type of low-carb dieting is to consume carbs within reason. Try cutting out breads, pastas, potatoes and potato products for a start. Just removing these items with your diet will help you to lose weight.