Low-carb diets have been controversial for decades.
Some people assert that these diets raise cholesterol and cause heart disease due to their high fat content.
However, in most scientific studies, low-carb diets prove their worth as healthy and beneficial.
Here are 10 proven health benefits of low-carb and ketogenic diets.
Hunger tends to be the worst side effect of dieting.
It is one of the main reasons why many people feel miserable and eventually give up.
However, low-carb eating leads to an automatic reduction in appetite ( 1 ).
Studies consistently show that when people cut carbs and eat more protein and fat, they end up eating far fewer calories ( 1 ).
Summary
Cutting carbs is one of the simplest and most effective ways to lose weight.
Studies illustrate that people on low-carb diets lose more weight, faster, than those on low-fat diets — even when the latter are actively restricting calories.
This is because low-carb diets act to rid excess water from your body, lowering insulin levels and leading to rapid weight loss in the first week or two ( 2 , 3).
In studies comparing low-carb and low-fat diets, people restricting their carbs sometimes lose 2–3 times as much weight — without being hungry (4, 5).
One study in obese adults found a low-carb diet particularly effective for up to six months, compared to a conventional weight loss diet. After that, the difference in weight loss between diets was insignificant ( 6 ).
In a year-long study in 609 overweight adults on low-fat or low-carb diets, both groups lost similar amounts of weight ( 7 ).
Summary
Saturday, October 24, 2020