Benefits and Side Effects of Low Carb Diets

One of the popular weight loss diets today is the Low Carb Diet. A lot of people are on this diet because it is very easy to follow. It simply sticks to the principle on restriction of carbohydrate intake. Although a dieter may experience craving for carbs, this will later on diminish causing low intake of food resulting to weight loss. There have been a lot of controversy about this diet but even so, it would be best to first find out if the benefits outweigh its side effects before you start getting into this diet.

Benefits

This diet does bring about numerous advantages to a person and his/her health. Some of these good effects of low carb dieting have been scientifically studied while some of which are reported by people who follow it. Some of these advantages are:

A. weight loss

B. lowered blood glucose for diabetics and pre-diabetics

C. lowered blood pressure

D. decreased blood insulin levels

Side Effects

Presenting the side effects of this diet are not meant to destroy its image rather it is done to show a person if the pros or cons outweigh the other more. Knowing the downside of a diet will also help us determine if low carb diets are really meant for you. Every diet has both good and bad sides. These side effects are as follows:

A. Nausea

B. Lethargy

C. Bad breath

D. Constipation

E. Irritable (hot-headed, grouchy)

Loss of appetite

Most people tend to think that low carb diets are the secret to losing weight rapidly. This may be true but what's really lost is water and muscle tissue and not the fat. The reason for this is because when our bodies run short of carbs, our bodies don't just turn to fats for energy but protein as well which are mostly found at the muscles, and from there it turns them to glucose.

Most people after finishing a low carb diet program end up carb binging.

If you have severely restricted your body from consuming carbs, your body produces ketone bodies for energy. When this happens, a person is in a ketosis state and is noticed to have smelly breath similar to the smell of nail varnish and can further cause fatigue and nausea.

The above are the advantages and disadvantages of a low cab diet so before you decide to choose this, be sure to consult your physician if your body can tolerate the low carb intake.