Low carb diets are high in protein and limited in carbohydrates. Examples of these diets would be the Atkins Diet, or the South Beach Diet. These types of diets were popular in the 1970's and have made a comeback in recent years. The low carb diet remains popular mostly due to the fact that usually people who try a low carb diet and are able to stick to it see the results they want. This is a good thing, right? Not necessarily. Low carb diets can have negative side effects, ranging from bad breath to kidney failure.
The Source of Some Negative Side Effects Associated with Low Carb Diets
Ketones are the source of some negative side effects associated with the popular low carb diets. As defined by WebMD, ketones are waste products in the body produced when the body goes into ketosis, meaning the body breaks down fat stores in replace of carbohydrates that are typically broken down into energy for the body. More ketones are produced by a person on a low carb diet because, without carbohydrates, our bodies are forced to break down fat stores.
Bad Breath and Other Mild Side Effects of a Low Carb Diet
Low carb diets can cause bad breath. As extra ketones are produced by the body on a low carb diet, they come out in the urine and saliva. An article published by WebMD says that unfortunately, there is not much a person can do about bad breath related to low carb diets. Drinking lots of water can sometimes help. Sucking on mints or chewing sugar free gum can be a temporary fix, but mints often have sugar in them which is a big no-no when on low card diets. In a diet such as the South Beach diet, bad breath should go away after the first phase of the diet, when you are allowed to start adding carbohydrates back into your diet.
Some other mild side effects caused from low carb dieting are weakness, nausea, dizziness and insomnia. Health News says that these negative side effects are also caused from the body going into ketosis from the lack of carbohydrates in the body.
Severe Side Effects of a Low Carb Diet
WebMD states that when your body goes into ketosis, the extra ketones in the body can cause organs to fail and result in kidney failure, kidney stones and gout.
Aside from suffering from ketosis or too many ketones in the body, people who sustain a low carb diet for long periods of time can also have an increased risk for high cholesterol and heart disease, due to the fact that they are encouraged to eat large amounts of protein and whole dairy products.
Other Considerations
In addition to the associated health risks of the low carb diet, it is typically hard for the average person to completely cut out carbohydrates, even in the first phase of the South Beach diet which only lasts a couple of weeks. Low carb diets require an exceptional amount of willpower, since carbohydrates are the staple to most foods and they are everywhere.
Low carb diets remain controversial because results are usually seen soon after starting the diet; however, these results may be from eating less food in general, because there is such a limit on what a person can eat when starting this sort of diet.
The Flip Side
On the other hand there are many people out there who swear on the low carb diet, and many studies have been done that prove the benefits that come out of low carb dieting.
Overall, it is best for everyone to assess each diet to find out what would work best for them and what the health risks are. The best approach to losing weight is after all, not a diet, but a lifestyle change. There are always risks associated with any fad diet, and perhaps a rule of thumb would be to have everything in moderation.
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