Low Carb Diets

A diet low in carbohydrates, also known as the ‘Atkin diet’ (from one of its main proponents, Dr. Robert Atkins), was a very popular diet craze a few years ago. It is less popular now (the flagship of the Atkins diet franchise, Atkins Nutrition, went bankrupt in 2005, although it has recently re-emerged), although it still has many proponents and is one of the more popular diets out there. During the height of its popularity, it was estimated that 1 in 11 people in the US was on the diet, and its popularity was even blamed to cause decreases in sales of carbohydrate foods like pasta or rice (sales were down 8.2% for pasta and 4.2% for rice in 2003).

What Is Low Carb?

The idea of a low-carb diet is a departure from traditional nutritional thinking; it is counter-intuitive to eat lots of steak on a diet, for example. It suggests that carbohydrates are the main source of weight gain, as opposed to saturated fats, which was the prevailing wisdom (while saturated fats and others are considered marginal in causing weight gain, the Atkins suggests that trans fats can cause weight gain). Carbohydrates are found in sugar, flour, and high-fructose corn syrups, making the foods to avoid in the low-carb diet items like breads, soda, or sweets.

How Does It Work?

The science behind it is that by drastically lowering carbohydrate intake, the Atkins diet allows the body to switch from metabolizing consumed glucose to burning body fat. The science to this has been questioned, and some say that the diet works instead because protein has more of a satiating effect (i.e. it makes you feel full sooner and for longer) than carbohydrates, reducing total carbohydrate intake (others have also suggested that the diet contains more ‘boring’ foods, reducing snacking).

The diet has been scientifically studied (although there are limited results for the long term), and the results are mixed. A review of existing studies by the Lanclet found no clear evidence that it was superior to other diets, and the limited studies on long-term use have found it to be similar in results to low fat diets. Some studies have found superior results with the Atkins diet however, so the jury is still out. In terms of health, studies have found the diet to have no adverse health effects, at least for up to six months (long term safety is unknown has it has not been properly studied).

Like many things, what is most important is what diet works best for you; certain people may process different foods in different ways, and different diets may have different effects on things like food cravings. The low carb diet seems safe, and many people find it effective. In the end, however, the most important things in a diet are cutting down fatty food while still eating healthily, and, as many seem to forget, getting plenty of exercise.