The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is rising worldwide, especially in developed countries.
While the reasons for this trend are multifactorial, there is compelling evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet may be useful in fighting heart disease.
A 2018 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet with a balanced diet in people with coronary artery disease (CAD).
The study authors found that, over 32 weeks, both diets reduced weight and improved cardiovascular risk factors, similar to the results seen in most randomized controlled trial (RCT) reports. However, the low-carbohydrate diet had a more beneficial effect, decreasing triglycerides, increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and decreasing non-fasting blood glucose levels.
How Does The Low-Carbohydrate Diet Work?
Most people are aware that carbohydrates play an important role in energy production, but they may not know that carbohydrates in foods act as a signal to the body that it is full. When a person eats carbohydrates, the body’s response is to begin storing calories as fat.
According to nutrition professor and researcher Christina Simopoulos at the University of Toronto, carbohydrates are more than just energy providers. They also control the body’s response to insulin, a hormone that promotes the storage of sugar in the body. When insulin levels are high, this can lead to diabetes and other health problems.
Therefore, consuming a lot of carbohydrates may cause the body to be less sensitive to insulin, resulting in lower blood sugar levels and lessened health risks. Based on this information, it is clear that a low-carbohydrate diet can be valuable in the fight against diabetes and heart disease. For this reason, the diet may prove to be helpful in prolonging life.
What Makes The Low-Carbohydrate Diet Different From Most Diets?
Most people who choose a low-carbohydrate diet do so for one reason or another, such as to lose weight or to improve their health. However, some people choose this way of eating for personal ethical reasons, believing that animals are better off without consuming foods that have been grown on a large scale.
Unlike most diets, the low-carbohydrate diet does not forbid certain food groups, such as dairy and fruit. Instead, it focuses on the total amount of carbohydrates that a person consumes.
This allows for a greater degree of flexibility, since people can choose to eat what they want within the limits of a low-carbohydrate diet. One of the advantages of this is that it may encourage a deeper understanding of what makes some foods better than others and help people make healthier food choices.
In addition, some people who choose a low-carbohydrate diet avoid highly processed foods, avoiding the calories and additives that these foods contain. Highly processed foods can also cause digestive problems, since the additives have a tendency to clog the small intestines and block nutrients from being absorbed by the body.
Many of the foods that the body needs are not found in processed foods, so avoiding them may be essential for someone following a low-carbohydrate diet. For example, the body needs healthy fats for many functions, such as keeping the heart healthy and functioning properly and enabling the body to maintain a proper balance of nutrients and energy. Fats from animal sources, like butter and olive oil, provide these vital nutrients.
How Is The Low-Carbohydrate Diet Measured And Calculated?
While there are many ways to measure a person’s diet, the most common approach is to analyze the food that they eat. In most cases, this means counting the number of grams of carbohydrates contained in the food and comparing it to the number of grams of carbohydrates that the body needs. Many nutrition software programs can be used to help people keep track of their carbohydrate intake and ensure that they stay below the recommended amount.
Are There Any Disadvantages To The Low-Carbohydrate Diet?
Although the low-carbohydrate diet offers many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. One of the most significant disadvantages is that it is very restrictive, since it allows for very little in the way of carbohydrates. This can make it difficult for people who follow the diet, especially those with diabetes, who may need to consume more carbohydrates than usual.
In addition, because there are fewer carbohydrates to be found in the diet, it may become more difficult to meet the body’s energy requirements. This may be why some people experience fatigue and low spirits when following the diet, though these problems may be alleviated by slowly increasing the carbohydrate intake over several weeks. In some cases, this may mean consuming more carbohydrates than the person requires, leading to increased blood sugar and insulin levels, which may in turn lead to serious health issues.
It is also important to keep in mind that while a low-carbohydrate diet can be useful for weight loss, it may not be the best choice for everybody. For some people, a greater degree of weight loss may be achieved by consuming more carbohydrates, particularly those that are high in fiber.
It is therefore wise to be careful when advising people that they should follow a low-carbohydrate diet, as not everybody will benefit from this kind of eating style. It is also important to point out that not everybody will be able to lose significant amounts of weight on such a diet, due to genetic factors and the general state of their body.
Many of those who try the diet may find that it is not the best choice for their health in the long run and may wish that they had followed a different approach. However, since it is already too late and they are already on the path to weight gain, they may simply have to live with the consequences.
Should You Switch To A Low-Carbohydrate Diet Now?
Whether or not you should switch to a low-carbohydrate diet now depends on you. In order to make the best decision for your health, you need to weigh the advantages against the disadvantages. If you are determined to lose weight and you are not bothered by the disadvantages, then you may want to give the diet a try, at least for a while.
In some cases, a person’s health may actually improve as a result of following a low-carbohydrate diet. For example, the diet may be beneficial for those who have diabetes or heart disease, since it lowers blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels and improves the body’s response to insulin. In these cases, it may prove to be a healthier option than the usual diets and allow for better blood sugar levels and improved health in general.
However, if you already have a healthy diet and you are not bothered by the disadvantages, then there is no reason to change your ways. In this case, it may simply be a matter of personal preference and what makes you feel better, both physically and mentally.
It is always a good idea to consult with a physician or dietician before deciding to change your eating habits. In some cases, this may mean changing the way that you have always eaten and requiring some time to adapt to the new diet. In other cases, it may mean that you have an underlying health issue that the diet will help with, such as diabetes or heart disease.