Are Low Carb Diets Healthy?

Endorsed by celebrities, restaurants and food labels, the low-carb solution is considered by many to be the answer to weight management. Yet, according to Paul Ratté, ND, associate clinic faculty at Northwestern Health Sciences University, low-carb diets are not necessarily healthful, and when used incorrectly, they may do more harm than good.

Low-carb diets become damaging when they are used improperly. While the Atkins Diet may be a short-term solution for weight loss, the danger occurs when it is used in a long-term, or in a “yo-yo” manner. “When used improperly, these diets have repercussions that are detrimental to one’s health,” says Ratté, who practices at the University’s Natural Care Center at Woodwinds in Woodbury.

The concept behind the low-carb diet is rooted in how the body reacts to sugar. Glucose, a common type of carbohydrate, is a sugar that is necessary to brain functioning. When food is consumed, insulin converts blood sugar or glucose, into usable energy. However, when there is too much sugar in the blood, it may damage the body. Excess sugar is therefore converted into fat, a less damaging substance.

“The idea of the low-carb diet is to eliminate carbohydrates like glucose from the diet. This forces the body to enter a state of ketosis, in which fat, rather than glucose, is used as energy,” says Ratté. “Ketosis is a state of stress in which your body believes that it is starving, and must turn to its reserved energy resources. I have no problem with people using ketosis as a springboard into a healthier lifestyle, but more often than not, it is used improperly and we end up manipulating our hormonal and metabolic well-being.”

Low-carb diets, like any diet that prohibits certain foods, lead people to noncompliance. “When you lower the number of carbs, you lower the insulin level, which in turn leads to weight loss. However, if you eliminate carbohydrates completely, people feel deprived.”

Furthermore, these diets ignore the fact that good and bad carbohydrates exist. “The difference between how your body handles processed and non-processed carbohydrates is significant. I suggest that people eat less refined and more whole grains,” says Ratté.

Finally, low-carb diets may have repercussions that affect overall health. “This diet has adverse effects for people who are clinically depressed,” says Ratté. General weakness and skin rashes have also been linked to the diet.

“These diets promote the idea that if you lose weight, you will be healthy. In fact, the reverse of that is true: you have to be healthy to lose weight,” says Ratté, who offers the following healthful advice to those in need of losing weight:

Never skip a meal – skipping meals leads to metabolic imbalances;
Eat all of the time – eat small healthy meals that are high in fiber to maintain metabolism; and
Include carbohydrates, fats and proteins into each meal.
Source: Natural News Service, Northwestern Health Sciences University