Low carbohydrate diet: What are its benefits and harms?

by Abbas Jahangir · Published January 17, 2024 · Updated March 21, 2024

Depending on age and gender, a person’s body mass index and the amount of calories they need to take vary. Despite this, the most important key to losing weight in a healthy way is to consume fewer calories than calories consumed. Many diet programs and exercises are applied to take in the desired amount of calories and lose excess calories. How many kilos can be lost with a low carbohydrate diet, also called low carb?

Foods containing carbohydrates consumed in excess in a day accumulate over time and are converted into fat by the metabolism. This is how carbohydrates are stored in the body. When consumed intensively, carbohydrates make it difficult to burn calories and thus lose weight. This has a negative impact on health. Low carbohydrate diet , also called low carb diet , aims to accelerate and facilitate calorie burning by minimizing the level of carbohydrates consumed during the day. In this diet program, the feeling of fullness in the body is provided by protein sources. Thus, calories are burned by consuming less amount of carbohydrates.

The foods that should be consumed on a low-carb diet and how much of them should be consumed vary from person to person. It is of great importance for people with diseases such as diabetes, heart or blood pressure to get help from an expert (doctor, dietitian) when applying such diets in order to achieve the desired result in a healthy way. How to do a low-carb or low-carb diet that aims to accelerate and facilitate calorie burning?

How to do a low carbohydrate diet?

The main thing in this diet program is to stay away from processed foods such as white bread, pasta, pastries and sugar. Instead, the required calorie needs are met from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, as well as foods containing healthy fats and proteins. Consuming plenty of vegetables and fruits during the diet ensures that the body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs through these foods. In addition, when following a low carb diet, it is important to consume plenty of water in order to burn calories quickly and experience faster weight loss.

There are foods that can and cannot be consumed during this period. Red meat, chicken, turkey and fish, eggs, small amounts of milk and yoghurt can be given as examples of consumable protein sources. Healthy oils such as olive oil, coconut oil and avocado are preferred as fat sources. Nuts and fruits are foods that can be consumed on a low carbohydrate diet.

Foods that should not be consumed or consumed sparingly are generally carbohydrates containing sugar and starch. Bread, potatoes, rice, bulgur, pasta, refined grains, trans fats, processed foods and ready-packaged products are foods that should be avoided during this period. It may not always be possible to completely avoid these foods. The most important thing in the diet is to ensure balanced consumption.

Low carbohydrate diet benefits and harms

Low carbohydrate diet is preferred by many people who want to lose weight, and it is possible to talk about its benefits as well as its harms. Low carb diet benefits are as follows:

When applied correctly, it creates a feeling of fullness in the person.
It makes losing weight easier than other diets.
It helps burn existing fat in the body.
It prevents type-2 diabetes by helping to reduce cholesterol.

The harms of low carbohydrate diet can be stated as follows:

If it is not applied correctly and the required amount of nutrients is not consumed, minerals and vitamins may be deficient.
Metabolism may slow down.
Some digestive problems may occur due to the decrease in fiber amount.
There may be decreased performance in some activities due to glycogen deficiency.

How much weight can be lost with a low carbohydrate diet?

It is possible to lose weight quickly on a low-carb diet that is implemented correctly and effectively. The amount of weight lost varies from person to person. Exercises and the amount of water consumed are also of great importance in reducing calories. If the low carbohydrate diet, also known as the low carb diet, is implemented correctly, you can lose 5 kilos in the first week. These types of diets, whose contents vary from person to person, should not be continued for a long time, and getting checked by an expert before applying will give healthier results.