The Science Behind Why Low-Carb Diets Work (2024)

FAQs

The Science Behind Why Low-Carb Diets Work? ›

Low-carb diets have long been touted as being beneficial for weight loss, diabetes and other medical conditions. This focus on carbs is largely due to how the body uses them: The body uses carbs for energy, but when carbs are restricted, the body turns to its fat stores for energy.

Extra glucose is stored in the liver and in muscles. Some is changed to body fat. A low-carb diet is meant to cause the body to burn stored fat for energy, which leads to weight loss.

The carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis

According to this hypothesis, to lose weight you reduce the amount of carb calories you eat and replace them with fat calories. This is supposed to drive down insulin levels, boost calorie burn, and help fat melt away.

Adopting a low-carb diet is one way to help blood sugar (and mood) stabilize. Excess sugar forces our pancreas to produce more and more insulin, a hormone that lowers our blood sugar. If we keep pumping out too much insulin, over time this process can make us resistant to insulin.

Complications such as heart arrhythmias, cardiac contractile function impairment, sudden death, osteoporosis, kidney damage, increased cancer risk, impairment of physical activity and lipid abnormalities can all be linked to long-term restriction of carbohydrates in the diet.

You'll Lose Water Weight

Glycogen helps your body retain water. You may also lose some salt along with the carbs you cut out. When you start to eat carbs again, the water weight comes right back. It takes 2 to 3 weeks for ketosis to rev up and start to burn fat.

Whether you are following keto or any other diet plan that puts you in a caloric deficit, it can take anywhere between a week up to several weeks to start seeing results, depending on a number of different factors.

On a standard low carb diet, the brain will still largely depend on glucose, the sugar found in your blood, for fuel. However, the brain may burn more ketones than on a regular diet. On a ketogenic diet, ketones are the primary fuel source for the brain. The liver produces ketones when carb intake is very low.

Low energy: Carbs are your body's primary source of energy. Therefore, a no-carb diet may lead to low energy and fatigue. Insufficient nutrients: A no-carb diet may not provide enough vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin C, which are abundant in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods.

Low-carb diets can often become high in saturated fat, which can lead to an increase in Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), known commonly as the bad cholesterol. This can increase the risk of fatty liver and cardiovascular disease (9-10).

How to flush carbs out of your body? ›

Start by drinking more water and increasing your fiber intake (try eating more non-starchy vegetables or taking a fiber supplement). Ginger, peppermint and licorice – either fresh or in tea form – can also help to get things moving, as can taking magnesium, probiotics or digestive enzymes.

The range of evaluated studies – all published between 2002 and 2022 – found that most trials defined low-carb as having 100 grams or less of carbohydrates daily. But many also had much stricter definitions, with carbs taking up only 40-60 grams per day.

Some population studies have linked low-carb diets to increased mortality. Other research, such as a 2022 study published in Current Developments in Nutrition, suggests that low-carbohydrate diets may increase LDL ("bad cholesterol") in some people—conceivably from the lack of fiber in low-carb diets.

1. Sugary Foods. Most people already think of many of the foods in this category as unhealthy treats. Candy, soft drinks, and sweet desserts such as cake, chocolate, and ice cream are all expected entries on a list of carbs to avoid to lose weight.

High-fat, low-carb regimen stresses out cells in heart, kidneys, brain, and liver, but effects may be reversible. Many influencers, athletes, and regular folks swear by ketogenic diets—skimping on carbs and feasting on fats to quickly shed pounds and improve their metabolism.

Peanut butter is moderately low in carbs and contains both fiber and healthy fat. Its composition makes peanut butter a balanced food that can be added to keto diets, depending on how it's made. This chart reviews some different types of peanut butter and their carb content in a 2-tablespoon (32–37 gram) serving.

Early studies reported that low-carbohydrate diets resulted in greater weight loss, glycemic control, and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors (primarily decreases in triglycerides and increases in HDL-C cholesterol).

Limiting carb intake is one strategy to help control blood sugar levels ( 23 ). One study in 56 people with type 2 diabetes determined that a low carb diet was more effective at controlling blood sugar, increasing weight loss, and reducing insulin needs, compared with a low fat diet ( 24 ).

Are low carb diets OK? It is perfectly healthy to follow a low-carb diet, as long as it includes a variety of nutritious, whole, unprocessed foods. Low-carb diets can be good for heart health, since they may increase good cholesterol levels, and decrease blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

One reason why you might be struggling to lose weight on a low-carb diet is that you've succumbed to the labels displaying what you think you need, yet you're consuming too many fats or overall calories in your daily intake.