Low-carbohydrate diets seem to be the meal plans earning the most popularity and creating the most controversy. Low-carbohydrate diets are based on the theory that many people cannot consume large amounts of carbohydrate foods without having their bodies create and store large amounts of fat.

        To understand what a low-carbohydrate diet is, one needs an understanding of calories in the diet.

        There are four nutrients that provide calories: carbohydrates, fats, proteins and alcohol. Carbohydrates yield readily available glucose and are the best fuel for the body. The brain must have glucose as a source of energy.

        Low-carbohydrate diets are based on the theory that by eating large amounts of carbohydrates, your body will create, and store large amounts of body fat. Low carbohydrate is roughly defined as any diet that involves less than 100 grams of carbohydrates for the average person.

        The basic premise of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets is to avoid or limit carbohydrates. These diets are based on eating high-protein foods like poultry, meats, fish, shellfish, nuts, fats and oils, some dairy products, green vegetables and a limited group of low-carbohydrate vegetables and fruits.

        Carbohydrates are essential in maintaining healthy activity of the nervous system and in preventing ketosis, a condition that occurs when the body must break down ingested fat for fuel because of a lack of carbohydrates. Ketosis is a potentially dangerous condition that produces the breakdown of bone, among other things. The presence of ketones in the blood system causes the blood to become acidic. Persistent acidity can lead to nausea, muscle breakdown, headaches, irritability, kidney problems and weak bones.

        Are low-carbohydrate diets the answer to weight loss? Such diets are more possible for people to achieve comfortably than low-fat diets. It is true that when people follow a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet they do lose weight and they lose it quite rapidly.

        Much of the initial weight loss on a low-carbohydrate diet is due to a loss of liver glycogen, a storage form of carbohydrate. The glycogen is lost because the low-carbohydrate diets do not provide enough glucose to maintain proper blood sugar and the liver glycogen is used to maintain a normal blood sugar levels. When the liver converts the glycogen to glucose, this water is lost from the body.

        Another difference in following a low-carbohydrate diet is the lack of hunger and the absence of cravings. A low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet will suppress appetite, making it easier to restrict calories. However, the weight loss is short lived because once a person begins eating carbohydrates, she comes out of ketosis and rapidly regains fluid weight.

        Despite the seduction of the low-carbohydrate diets for weight control, there is no evidence that it is effective as a long-term weight management technique. Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume.

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