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The danger of Low Carb Diets |
Several years ago we were to cut out the fat to lose weight. This claim had us scrutinizing the labels of every package of food. If we managed to completely remove fat from our diet, we felt like champions. Oils were the first to go, then eggs, nuts and avocados. Not getting the desire weight loss results we wanted, we turned our eyes on carbohydrates, swapping our low-fat and fat-free products with low-carb or carb-free ones. We did this without realizing the danger of low carb diets. Here are some of the problems: 1. Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs when excessive uric acid starts to form crystals in joints, leading to pain and inflammation. Uric acid is a waste product in the liver's metabolism of protein. Too much of protein may lead to your body's an inability to eliminate uric acid. 2. Kidney stones are hard masses that form in the kidneys when uric acid or calcium oxalate forms crystals and over time forms stones. Insoluble fiber found only in carbohydrates reduces the absorption of calcium, which cause urinary calcium levels to drop resulting in prevention of kidney stone's formation. 3. To maintain good intestinal health our bodies need thirty or more grams of fiber daily. Dietary fiber is divided into soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is vital in formation of stools and lowers the time process of waste elimination. Low carbohydrate diets are too low in insoluble fiber and increase risk of constipation. Poor transit time of waste material increases risk of certain colon cancers. Insoluble fibers prevent the buildup of mucus on intestinal walls which lead to poor absorption of nutrients into the body. Low carbohydrate diets are not sufficient to maintain good intestinal wall health. Poor intestinal health also increases the risk for irritable bowel, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, hemorrhoids and colon cancers. 4. Risk of heart disease increases on a low carbohydrate, low fiber diets. The high protein diets promote excessive amounts of animal protein, cholesterol and saturated fat. Large amounts of protein increase homocysteine, which is a by product of the amino acid methionine. Many experts believe that high homocysteine levels have many toxic effects which lead to increase risk of heart disease and hardening of arteries. Low carbohydrate, low fiber diets reduce the absorption and elimination of digestive bile in the intestines. Digestive bile is produced in the liver from cholesterol. A decrease in digestive bile production raises blood serum cholesterol levels which increases risk of heart disease. 5. Osteoporosis is the decrease in bone density, due to the loss of calcium over long periods of time. Several dietary factors increase the risk of osteoporosis. When dietary protein reaches excessive levels, so does the loss of calcium in the urine. Many studies show that a life - long high protein diet results in an increase of osteoporosis. Poor intestinal health due to low fiber diets cause inadequate absorption of calcium in intestines contributing to poor bone formation. This would suggest that all low carbohydrate diets cannot become a life long lifestyle of eating. This is only one of many reasons why low carbohydrate diets provide poor Long Term Weight Control. Interestingly, a diet too low in protein can also increase risk of osteoporosis. There is no one size fits all when managing our weight. 6. Any diet that applies the restriction of calories less than our body's daily needs over long periods of time will result in the loss of lean muscle tissue and a decrease in the metabolism. All low carbohydrate diets are focused solely on weight loss. The loss of fat comes at a high cost, which is the loss of lean muscle. The loss of muscle reduces the resting metabolic rate, which is the major cause for rebound weight gain. Research shows 95% of all dieters' will regain that weight back. 7. Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for your muscles and brain. Eating a low carbohydrate diet prevents proper maintenance of muscle and liver glycogen (storage form of carbohydrate and water), decreasing muscle performance and increasing muscle fatigue. ATP is the main source of energy for all muscle contraction. When a muscle is used, a chemical reaction breaks down ATP to produce energy. There is only enough ATP stored in the muscle for a few contractions. For more contraction, more ATP is needed. There are three enzyme systems that can create more ATP. They are from carbohydrates, fatty acids and amino acid proteins. Carbohydrates metabolize efficiently and are therefore used first. If carbohydrates are not available, your muscles metabolize fatty acids and amino acids as secondary sources of ATP. These secondary sources are not efficient, which consequently cause your strength and endurance to drop drastically.
Rob Leon is a health and fitness enthusiast and webmaster of www.GoFigureFit.com
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