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Dieting Studies Become Slimmer Quicker Through Low Carb Diets?
At the turn of the year, many people are trying to lose their accumulated body weight. Very popular is the so-called "low-carb diet". Instead of abstaining from fat, one avoids the consumption of carbohydrates here. But is the effect sustainable? Is fast weight loss even healthy?
Low carb is trendy
Many people want to start the New Year by slightly reducing their weight. Diets, such as those by Atkins, are in vogue. Much meat, eggs, milk and cheese and hardly any carbohydrates: A diet according to the so-called low-carb principle. When asked whether less fat or less carbohydrates is apt to lose weight quickly, scientific research has consistently shown that low-carb performs better than low-fat. It is clear that you can achieve a rapid weight loss by eliminating carbohydrates. It is controversial, however, whether it is also healthy to delete bread, noodles and rice from the diet and to put on fat or proteins.
Many people who want to lose weight reduce the consumption of carbohydrates. However, the so-called "low-carb diet" is controversial. (Image: lameeks / fotolia.com) Health problematic
"Fats and carbohydrates play the most important role in meeting energy needs. A wholesome mixed diet should contain limited amounts of fat and more than 50% of the carbohydrate energy intake, "writes the German Nutrition Society (DGE) on its website.
On the other hand, Andreas Pfeiffer of the German Institute for Nutritional Research (DIfE) in Potsdam explained in a message from the news agency dpa: "In principle, you can even live without carbohydrates because they are not essential."
For example, the Inuit, an indigenous ethnic group that lives mainly in Canada, are traditionally carbohydrate-free. They only eat egg whites and fats.
For health reasons, low carb diets are usually not a good idea. Even more problematic are so-called ketogenic diets. Avoiding carbs can even affect your life expectancy.
On the other hand, low carb diets help to better control type 2 diabetes, as a study showed in the past year.
Make carbs fat?
The question of whether carbohydrates make you fat at all is not so easy to answer. In a report of the "Rheinische Post" (RP), Andreas Pfeiffer of DIfE said: "It depends on which carbohydrates are eaten."
There are good and bad. The good or complex carbohydrates therefore consist of long chains of sugar building blocks and are slowly digested. Therefore, the blood sugar level remains relatively stable and food cravings are prevented. Complex carbohydrates are included in whole grains, among others.
The bad or even simple carbohydrates, which consist of short sugar chains, are digested quickly and quickly pass into the blood. The body has to release insulin in order to stabilize and then lower the blood sugar level, which rises rapidly after eating these carbohydrates.
As explained in the RP report, this excess insulin can block fat burning and make you hungry again. Simple carbohydrates are barely found in natural foods but are found in sweets, cakes and white bread, among others.
Healthy energy suppliers
Do not use carbohydrates completely, it will not work on "Low Carb" and its amount will be reduced. Antje Gahl, DGE's ecotrophologist, said, "The proportion varies between 20 and 45 percent depending on the individual case." This should consist of the good carbohydrates.
Whole grain products such as wholegrain bread, pasta or rice, but also legumes such as chickpeas, soybeans or lentils are healthy energy sources. "They provide lots of fiber that will fill you up for a long time," says Pfeiffer.
According to the experts pumpkin seeds, nuts, oatmeal or wheat bran are also recommended. Although these foods also contain carbohydrates, but they are complex. In addition, their share is low. "On the other hand, a piece of crumble cake, which is mainly made up of flour, sugar and butter, provides a lot of simple, bad carbohydrates," explained Pfeiffer.
On the total balance is important
When asked if "low carb" is good for weight loss, Ms Gahl said, "It all depends on the overall energy balance." If only the consumption of carbohydrates is limited, but other energy products are not taken into account, they lose not a gram.
"Currywurst without fries is not enough," says Gahl. In a "low-carb diet" should absolutely be taken to take good fats. Pfeiffer recommends vegetable fats such as rapeseed or olive oil. According to RP, the doctor said: "Tropical oils, ie coconut oil and palm oil, should be avoided." For these contained too many saturated fatty acids.
It should generally not be consumed more than 300 grams per week, with fish and vegetables, there is no restriction. Because of the fructose contained in fruits 300 grams per day should not be exceeded. And drinks like sodas, fruit juices or alcoholic drinks should be taboo on the "low carb" menu. (Ad)