The Low Carb diet (low in carbohydrates)

This diet is mainly aimed at overweight people and diabetics. But it is not always easy to follow in the long term.

Low carb diet, what is it?

The “low carb” diet is, as its English name suggests, a low-carbohydrate diet which, when done well (with vegetables), is balanced.

Profile	Low in carbohydrates (especially starchy foods), balanced to high in proteins and rather high in lipids
Principle	Limit carbohydrate intake to cause the body to primarily burn fat by transforming it into energy.
Highlights	Satiety Rapid weight loss
Weak points	Can be restrictive for social life, and restrictive, sometimes difficult to follow in the long term Possible deficiency in certain minerals and vitamins (especially when strict)

How to follow a low carb diet?

Low carb: how many carbohydrates per day?

This diet is based on the more or less strict restriction of carbohydrates, especially sugars and carbohydrates that are sources of starch. The amount of carbohydrates consumed daily depends on your weight or health goals. The range is very wide: between 15g of carbohydrates per day for the strictest diet and 130g for the most permissive.

But to achieve these limited quantities, it is necessary to eliminate or considerably reduce the consumption of certain common foods such as bread, pasta, rice, sugar, potatoes. Ultra-processed products, sugary drinks, or sugary foods are prohibited.

How to replace carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates must be replaced by meat, fish, low-carbohydrate vegetables (spinach, salad, endive, zucchini, broccoli, etc.), nuts, fats (well selected), low-glycemic fruits (in greater or lesser quantities).

The basics of rLow Carb diet: ketogenic or Atkins?

There are several Low Carb diets:

– The most famous : The New Atkins Dietwhich is composed of 4 phases. The first requires limiting carbohydrates to 20 g per day for at least two weeks. The gradual reintroduction of carbohydrates is possible in the following phases and their quantity varies depending on each person’s carbohydrate tolerance.

– The strictest : The ketogenic dietthis diet is based on the body’s transition into ketosis, the consumption of carbohydrates must be limited in the long term. It is more difficult to follow than the New Atkins Diet.

Eating Low Carb: the effects on the body

This diet has long had a bad press. It moves away (much) from the recommendations of health authorities, who recommend starchy foods at each meal and explain that carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy and that they are essential to the body.

In fact, according to the United States Institute of Medicine, the minimum requirement for carbohydrates, as long as the body obtains sufficient fats and proteins, is probably close to zero: the body can do without them as its primary source of energy. From fats (ingested or stored), the body produces ketone bodies which serve as an alternative fuel. When the production of ketone bodies is sufficient, the body is said to be in a state of ketosis.

The low carb diet is not only recommended for weight loss. It decreases the level of cardiovascular risk markers (like triglycerides), lowers blood sugar, and could prevent or reverse diabetes.

For the record

For nearly 150 years, from the 19th century until the end of the 1960s, doctors effectively made obese people lose weight by drastically reducing starches and sugars of all kinds.

In 1825, culinary author Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin interviewed more than 500 obese people to understand their eating behavior. Following this study, he published The physiology of taste where he shares a particularity that struck him: these people ate a lot of starchy foods. He deduces that it is starchy foods that are the cause of their obesity and that sugar makes things worse.

Then many doctors made the same observation until the 1960s, when the war on fat began and carbohydrates were rehabilitated.

In 1972, Dr. Robert Atkins put low-carb back in the saddle by publishing his famous diet. However, it is very restrictive, low in fruits and vegetables and is accompanied by annoying side effects (at first fatigue, migraines, etc.). In 2011, three university medical professors developed the new version of the Atkins Diet, more flexible, easier to follow and balanced.

What does the research say?

Many studies have been carried out on the therapeutic effects of the low carb diet.

Lose weight with the Low Carb diet

In 2015, a meta-analysis of studies involving 1797 patients (1) showed that the low-carb diet is more effective for weight loss than a low-fat diet and that it could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

And for health?

For diabetes: The low-carb diet often led to significant improvements in blood glucose and lipid levels in type 2 diabetics. (2) A review of studies published in 2018 in theEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition has, for example, shown the positive effects of the low carb diet on glycated hemoglobin HbA1c (the marker of diabetes control). A low-carbohydrate diet would also improve kidney function.

In addition, other studies have shown that it is possible to reduce or even eliminate antidiabetes medications through limited carbohydrate consumption.

For cardiovascular diseases: The low carb diet generally helps reduce the risk factors for these diseases: weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, triglycerides, blood pressure when there is hypertension. (3,4) However, no study has yet shown that this type of diet leads to less cardiovascular disease.

Adverse effects of the Low Carb diet

A 2018 study suggests that people who follow a “low carb” diet have a higher risk of mortality. This is an observational study which cannot establish a cause and effect relationship, but which must be taken into account if one wants to follow a low carb diet in the long term. If you are in this case, please note that this study has been commented on on our site.

Low Carb diet and sport

More and more athletes are abandoning a diet rich in carbohydrates – although it has long been recommended – and are turning to Low Carb diets and are also reaping benefits from them. The Low Carb diet is more suitable for long endurance sports, which require moderate efforts over long distances. Dr. Fabrice Kuhn, doctor and triathlete, detailed the benefits and disadvantages of very low-carbohydrate diets in The ketogenic diet for athletes.

In conclusion

The “low carb” diet is not for everyone; it can be difficult to follow in the long term. This diet is especially recommended for people who are overweight and/or have high blood sugar levels. An alternative is not to reduce carbohydrates, but to choose better quality ones. This is the GI diet.