User:CFCF/sandbox/59
Dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Low-carbohydrate diets (also low carb, LC, or carbohydrate-restricted diets, CRD) are diets that restrict carbohydrate consumption relative to the average diet. Foods high in carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, bread, pasta) are limited, and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fat and protein (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and seeds), as well as low carbohydrate foods (e.g. spinach, kale, chard, collards, and other fibrous vegetables).
Low carbohydrate diets allow for a variety of foods, including many plants |
There are many definitions of low carb, which complicates research.[1] Some definitions define the diet based on percent of calories from carbohydrates,[2] whereas others are based on absolute weight of carbohydrates, frequently measured in grams.[3]
Low-carbohydrate diets are controversial, with major organizations issuing contradictory recommendations. The lack of standardized definitions in research make it difficult to interpret long term safety and effect. In the short term, reduced carbohydrate diets are more effective than reduced fat diets. Both low and high carbohydrate diets have been associated with increased mortality, and reduced carbohydrate diets has been argued may mean missing out on health benefits from high-quality carbohydrate in legumes and fruit and vegetables.[4][5] Claimed disadvantages of the diet might include halitosis, headache and constipation, and in general the potential adverse effects of the diet are under-researched, particularly for more serious possible risks such as for bone health and cancer incidence.[6] Benefits include relative ease of sticking to the diet, and little confusion as to what is permitted or not in the diet.
Carbohydrate-restricted diets are more effective than low-fat diets in helping achieve weight loss in the short term.[7] . The hypothesis proposed by diet advocates that carbohydrate causes undue fat accumulation via the medium of insulin, and that low-carbohydrate diets have a "metabolic advantage", has been falsified by experiment.[8][7]
It is not clear how low-carbohydrate dieting affects cardiovascular health; any benefit from HDL cholesterol might be offset by raised LDL cholesterol, which risks causing clogged arteries in the long term.[9][10]
Carbohydrate-restricted diets are no more effective than a conventional healthy diet in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes, but for people with type 2 diabetes they are a viable option for losing weight or helping with glycemic control.[11][12][13] There is little evidence that low-carbohydrate dieting is helpful in managing type 1 diabetes.[1] The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes should adopt a generally healthy diet, rather than a diet focused on carbohydrate or other macronutrients.[13]
An extreme form of low-carbohydrate diet ā the ketogenic diet ā is established as a medical diet for treating epilepsy.[14] Through celebrity endorsement it has become a popular weight-loss fad diet, but there is no evidence of any distinctive benefit for this purpose, and it may have a number of initial side effects.[14] The British Dietetic Association named it one of the "top 5 worst celeb diets to avoid in 2018".[14]