Reduced Carbohydrate Diet

A reduced carbohydrate diet typically is used to achieve weight loss. Such diets vary in what one can eat and how much of those certain foods they can eat. Though many have had success with a reduced carbohydrate diet, there are many dangers as well as benefits of such a restrictive diet.

Benefits

• A reduced carbohydrate diet, according to researchers, can significantly help with weight loss because of the reduction of carbohydrates and calories in the diet. Reduced carbohydrate diets are extremely popular with weight-conscious Americans and people with obesity and related complications because of the significant results many have achieved.

  Those following a reduced carbohydrate diet typically feel fuller after eating a small portion. This helps with weight loss since dieters will eat less. Dieters also have lower blood glucose levels than someone not following the reduced diet.

  Typically, those following a reduced carbohydrate diet can consume non-processed vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses, and whole grains, but the actual amounts depend on the individual. Processed foods, pastas, breads and fats are meant to be eaten sparingly. Midnight snacks no longer consist of pizza or chips, but fruits and vegetables instead.

Dangers

• Although many people are enthralled to step on the scale to discover that pounds are quickly shed only after a few days, following a reduced carbohydrate diet has some dangers.

  For one, dieters may feel very dehydrated. This is because of the lack of carbohydrates ends up depleting the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. Glycogen in the liver and muscles is broken down and used for fuel when an inadequate amount of carbohydrates is consumed.

  The lack of glycogen in the muscles causes fatigue and discomfort when moving around. Muscle depletion causes dieters to exercise less, thus gaining the weight back that they just lost. This may eventually lead to muscle loss and a decrease in one's basal metabolic rate, or metabolism. Over time, if the dieter doesn't consume a safe and healthy amount of carbohydrates, the skin will become saggy due to muscle loss.

  Also, reduced carbohydrate diets are lacking in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. They support a higher intake of protein, which Americans already consume too much of. This increase in protein causes ketosis, which is an unhealthy physiological state. Ketosis is an extreme type of metabolic acid disorder, possibly causing a situation in which fat may not be able to burn.

Is This Diet Right For You?

• A successful candidate for a reduced carbohydrate diet follows a sedentary lifestyle -- someone generally healthy who spends most of his time on the computer or working in an office. Relatively inactive people do not require a high intake of carbohydrates, unlike someone who is active.

  Athletes or people with serious medical conditions like liver or kidney problems, high cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular health issues, should avoid a reduced carbohydrate diet. For someone with a serious health condition, a reduced carbohydrate diet threatens the health because of the high consumption of high-fat and high-protein foods, which are bad for the heart. For athletes, this diet is not appropriate because it lacks the energy athletes need to preform.

  If you plan on taking on a reduced carbohydrate diet, first consult your doctor, as with any diet. Typically, those following a reduced carbohydrate diet make it their lifestyle since once you stop the diet, the pounds often come back on rather quickly. If you're looking to lose weight quickly for an event, a reduced carbohydrate diet will help you shed unwanted pounds fast if you stick to the guidelines.