How Does the No Carb Diet Work?

The term "no-carb diet" is a misnomer. It's practically impossible to eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet. The No-Carb Diet is actually a Low-Carb Diet. The low carbohydrate diet goes by many names. The Atkins Diet is the most popular but others, including the South Beach, Sugar Busters, Protein Power, The Zone and Stillman diets emphasize reducing carbohydrates to a minimum. Some add proteins, some lower fats, some rely on unlimited fats and proteins to help dieters stay on the diet. These diets have been shown to be effective but also may pose dieters some risks.

Mechanism

Low-carb diets are sold as able to change the body's "chemistry" to cause weight loss. What actually happens is that you do not receive sufficient carbohydrates in your diet for the body to function properly. This causes the body to burn carbohydrates stored as glycogen for energy. When the body burns glycogen, it releases water and you get a drastic initial weight drop at the beginning of the diet. The weight drop is largely water, but may encourage the dieter to stick with the diet.

Good Carbs?

Many low-carb diets make it sound like all carbohydrates are bad for you and substitute high-fat, high protein schemes. If you think fatty foods are good for you, you've probably not been paying attention to nutritional research for the past century. High-fat diets increase the risk of heart disease dramatically, regardless of body weight. Not all carbohydrates are bad. Many doctors object to the exclusion of these "good carbs" from any diet. Whole grains, some vegetables, fruits, rice, beans, pasta and potatoes that tend to be excluded from these diet plans also tend to be rich in antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, flavonoids that are essential in the prevention of heart disease and cancer.

Alternatives

Studies in 2007 and 2008 issues of the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that so-called Mediterranean diets, which include lots of fruit and vegetables, fish, healthy fats like olive oil, nuts and low portions of meat, are as effective as low-carb for weight loss and undoubtedly healthier. Low-carb diets do reduce triglyceride levels and improve HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. Another study in the same time frame found that the best diet for you may be dependent on the way hormones respond to your body. People with high insulin levels lose more weight on low-carb diets than on low-fat ones. Those with low insulin levels lose about the same on both. The impact of a low-carb/high-protein-and fat diet on vulnerability to heart disease and cancer is still being evaluated.

Recommendations

While body weight may be an important factor in maintaining good health, nutritionists and researchers suggest that regular exercise and maintaining a high quality diet is more important to health and disease prevention than is keeping your weight at or below a specific recommended poundage. Low-carb diets may provide a tool for quick weight loss in preparation for surgery or when extreme weight becomes life-threatening, but the jury is still out as to whether low-carb diets should be a permanent lifestyle choice or not.