Low-carb diets can be a healthy and efficient weight-loss program, but they can be risky, as carbohydrates are the only sources of energy for your crucial body organs such as the brain, central nervous system and the kidneys. According to the Mayo Clinic, low-carb diets increase the levels of blood sugar and make your body use its fat stores. However, low-cab diets have some negative side effects associated with them.
General Body Weakness
When you make a transition from a crab-dependent diet to a low-carb diet, your body needs to adjust to the changes, according to Becky Hand, a licensed and registered dietitian. Low-carb diets cause lack of energy in your body because carbohydrates play a role in the burning of fats, which produce energy. Lack of energy in your body can cause dizziness, nausea, headaches and fatigue.
Bad Breath
Low-carb diets lead to incomplete burning of fats to produce energy in your body, and in the process, ketones are produced, says Anssi H Manninen, an exercise physiologist specializing in sports nutrition and ergogenic aids. Excess ketones in your body come out through your urine and saliva. This causes bad breath among people on low-carb diets. Though you cannot do much to stop bad breath, drinking water and chewing sugar-free gum can help you suppress bad breath, says Shannon Clark, a certified personal trainer and author of "8 Low-Carb Conundrums."
Constipation
Foods in low-carb diets such as beef have little fiber and cause reduction in body fiber, which can lead to constipation. However, constipation occurs due to lack of roughage in your body regardless your nutrition plan, says Clark. You can avoid constipation by including vegetables in your diet, since they have soluble fiber that slows the movement of food in the intestines to ensure complete digestion of food.
Dehydration
Low-carb diets burn glycogen stores in your body, which have water. Excretion of ketones through your urine causes frequent urination. This loss of water leads to dehydration when you are on a low-carb diet. Dehydration leads to headaches and fatigue. Take a lot of water to replenish the lost water as a remedy to dehydration caused by low-carb diet, reports the Mayo Clinic.
Muscle Cramps
Diets low in carbohydrates has an effect on your muscles. This is caused by the dehydration due to your low-carb diet and lack of vitamins that are important for the well-being of your muscles. Muscle cramps reduce your fitness and energy levels, says Doctor Arne Astrup. Consume fruits and vegetables with essential vitamins as a remedy for muscle cramps.
Key Concepts * Low-carb diet * Effects of low-carb * Lack of carbohydrates
References * US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Metabolic Effects of the Very-Low-Carbohydrate Diets: Misunderstood "Villains" of Human Metabolism
[ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18500949 ] * The Mayo Clinic: Low Carb Diets
[ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-carb-diet/NU00279 ] * CBSNews.com: Low-Carb Side Effects Cited
[ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/02/health/main640566.shtml ] * Bodybuilding.com: 8 Low-Carb Conundrums
[ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/8-low-carb-conundrums.html ] * SparkPeople: The Truth About Carbohydrates
[ http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=590 ] * The Mayo Clinic: Glycemic Index Diet; What's Behind the Claims
[ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glycemic-index-diet/MY00770 ]
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
out of carbohydrate reserves to use as fuel. Draining the carbohydrate levels and reserves of your…
- 516 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Fiber helps normalize bowel movements, maintain bowel integrity and health, lowers blood cholesterol levels, helps control blood sugar levels, aid in weight loss, and may even reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Lipids are also known as cholesterol that is a component found in blood fats. Dietary fiber can be found fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Dietary fibers are commonly classified into two categories, insoluble fiber (don’t dissolve in water), and soluble fiber (those that do dissolve in water). A diet high in fiber decreases the chance of constipation by producing a stool that bulky and easy to pass. High fiber in the diet may lower the risk of developing…
- 460 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Very low calorie diets help individuals lose weight and limit the sodium, saturated fat and added sugar intake.…
- 150 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
If an individual does not consume enough carbohydrates they can feel dizzy, have headaches, feel weak, tired, have bad breath and have diarrhoea. Food Sources: Carbohydrates are found in dried fruit, cereals, crackers, cakes, flours, jams, bread, potatoes, vegetables, whole grains and yoghurt. The Risks: If an individual consumes too much carbohydrates it can lead to insulin resistance which means fewer carbohydrates get stored in the cells for energy. Functions In The Body: Carbohydrates help the body by providing energy for it to use up.…
- 2436 Words
- 25 Pages
Good Essays -
Carbohydrates are key components in a diet because they provide the body with energy. Carbohydrates are in comprising sugars, starchy food and dietary fibre. Starchy carbohydrates provide an important source of energy. Simple carbohydrates or sugars this is found in food such as fruit, vegetables, honey, milk and malt products. Simple carbohydrates are digested by the body quicker because they have got a simple chemical structure. Complex carbohydrates are found in cereals, corn flour, potatoes, pasta and flour. Complex carbohydrates absorb certain minerals and fatty acids. If you do not have enough carbohydrates then you would be tired and not have enough energy to do what you need to do in the day. This could also cause low blood…
- 1294 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
The south beach diet is supposed to help prevent and reverse disease while also help you maintain an ideal body weight. This diet is not a low carb or low fat diet. But it is a diet with makes you eat the right carbs and the right fats; which helps you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes. Since you are not eating the right carbs and fat, most times you will not feel hungry all the time. This diet is known to help women who are trying to get the bikini body for the summer. Your doctor can also provide more information about this diet.…
- 320 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
I’m very proud to say, I’ve spent years researching and then carefully developing this diet system that tricks your body into relentlessly burning body fat, while you continue to eat your full three mouth-watering, real food meals each day. And you should know that the longer you follow the 30-Day Low Carb Diet “Ketosis Plan” the closer you will be in your desire to achieve the beautiful, attractive and healthy body of your…
- 416 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
. Janine also said: “If you eat way too much protein and not enough carbs you can ruin your kidneys…
- 299 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The Atkins diet itself is only the most popular of an approach usually called low-carb diets because of the primary interest in restricting consumption of Carbohydrates. Since the entire spectrum of our food is drawn from proteins, fats, carbohydrates or water, severe restriction of one group is seen by many as an arbitrary and possibly even dangerous step.…
- 2226 Words
- 9 Pages
Good Essays -
I was astonished by how many carbohydrates I take in too. Eating a lot of carbs can add to the blockage/ movement in the bowels so I need to consider decreasing the TYPE of carbohydrates that I eat, cutting out white and processed breads and grains, replacing them for whole grains and wheat products.…
- 1037 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
The great thing about approaching dieting this way is not necessarily having to eat less. Of course, you will still have to eat the right kind of foods, so do watch what you eat. One thing about traditional dieting is how the whole body goes into survival mode to preserve whatever calories and fat it has. This is especially true if you skip one or two meals. A much more effective strategy is to eat several smaller meals in a day, rather than the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner. This ensures the stomach stays satisfied throughout the day. There are a number of metabolic diet recipes you can try that you can refer to when you start cooking meals that are appropriate for dieting. Another mistake that some dieters make is skipping breakfast. Unfortunately those who do, tend to overeat later in the day and will likely suffer from sluggishness. By eating breakfast, this allows you to effectively jump-start your metabolism after having fasted overnight. This helps the body burn more calories throughout the day and avoid the sluggishness that is typically experienced by most dieters. Coffee is another key component that most adults already take advantage of. Coffee has long been known to boost the nervous system and keep it more alert and ready to burn more energy and calories.…
- 421 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Low-carb diets have been hugely popular for a number of decades now, with many people believing that a certain Dr Atkins, to be responsible for our understanding of how and why these diets are so effective when it comes to burning fat. Losing weight, or rather, losing fat, is most certainly not an easy task, and it is definitely not something that happens overnight. If we're truly serious about losing fat and getting into shape, we need to find a diet plan that not only works, but one that is also sustainable so that it allows us to stick with it for the foreseeable future, and to possibly even incorporate it as part of a healthy lifestyle. This is why low carbohydrate diets are considered so beneficial.…
- 947 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
I am a heavily active individual, and as such I am realizing that I need to bring up my calorie intake to properly fuel my body. I meet my protein intake but fall short everywhere else. I will be trying to eat more fiber and carbohydrates in the form of fruits and vegetables from now on. My meals have been incorporating ,more legumes since the start of this class and I am going to be trying to find ways to increase my fiber intake. I don’t drink juice, but I imagine if I did, it could help increase my caloric intake as well as my fiber intake. I do take in a proper amount of protein, so I don’t worry about any problems with muscle development or impaired organ function, but I keep consumption in safe levels to avoid kidney problems. Carbohydrates are something I can increase since a lack of them can contribute to malnutrition and general weakness. A sufficient amount of fiber is important too since it helps bowel function and will help prevent diseases like diverticulitis. Lastly, the proper amount of fat in your diet is necessary to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and help prevent heart…
- 743 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
As previously stated milk and meat do not contribute to one's fiber intake. I would advise anyone whose diet consists of mainly milk and meat to incorporate fiber rich foods into their diet. This could be done by adding a high-fiber cereal in the morning (Carter, 2007). Furthermore, consuming more fruits and vegetables throughout the day will help ensure they meet their daily fiber requirement.…
- 987 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
3. When the body needs energy and there’s not enough carbs, then the body turns to stored fat for energy. Ketone Bodies are needed for utilizing fat stores for energy. This can be damaging to organs such as the kidneys. Excess proteins are also damaging to the kidneys.…
- 668 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays