Pros of Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Low carbohydrate, or low-carb, diets made a comeback in the 1990s with the publication of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. Yet the benefits of carbohydrate restriction are not just theoretical. Indeed, they resonate even today in the lives of practitioners. These satisfied customers report reduced hunger, lost weight and improved health. What had been known as a "fad" diet achieved respect. After the accumulation of hard evidence, the New York Times Magazine, in the summer of 2002, testified that the low carbohydrate phenomenon may be rooted in scientific fact.

Weight Loss

In a country teeming with obese people, the diet industry thrives, whether the economy soars or tanks. Low carbohydrate diets come in many forms, from Atkins to Protein Power to the Zone. They share a common assumption that the body burns fat in the absence of carbohydrates. This was corroborated by a year-long Stanford University study, where the low-carb participants doubled the weight loss experienced by low-fat dieters. The loss was not in water or muscle, but in fat.

Blood Sugar

Many type-2 diabetics suffer through a daily regimen of blood glucose testing, medications and insulin supplementation to keep their sugar levels stable. Swedish researchers determined in 2006 that severely reducing carbohydrates in daily intake will, over time, eliminate the need for this medicinal assistance. By its very nature, the low-carb diet is a low-sugar diet and its effectiveness lies in its simplicity. Keeping sugar out of the bloodstream is preferable to pumping sugar in and following it up with drugs.

Cardiovascular Benefits

After years of warnings and alarms about coronaries, low-carb dieters can take heart, literally. The Harvard University School of Public Health conducted a study in 2009 which found that the primary culprits in heart disease were refined carbohydrates, not red meat. While the weight loss from low-carb regimens alone make them heart-healthy, they are further bolstered by the fact that the study could find no consistency in the medical arguments against saturated fat.

Other Benefits

Cholesterol levels, triglycerides and blood pressure all improved for low-carb subjects of a University of Pennsylvania study in 2002. Moreover, this diet shows evidence of reducing the frequency of epileptic seizures, according to a 2008 research project by a British medical center. In terms of anecdotal support, most low-carb dieters report improved mood and a better night's sleep.