Low carb diets are all the rage because of plans like Atkins, South Beach, The Zone are always getting attention. Basically you reduce your carbohydrate intake and you force your body into a state of ketosis (where it burns fat for energy instead of glucose and glycogen). As a result you burn more body fat and store less of it. Sounds great, right? Well there are side effects of going too far and create a carbohydrate deficiency in your body.
1) VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCY:-
Yes, processed carbs like bread, pasta and rice are not so great but that means fruits and veggies are now your main carb source if you cut out starchy carbs.
If you cut out these foods as well you will run into trouble like high blood pressure, heart problems, mental impairment, organ damage, vision problems. Fruits and veggies are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and they support almost every function in the body. Important things like keeping your blood and organs healthy, preventing cancer, preventing diabetes, removing waste materials and supporting metabolism.
2) FIBRE DEFICIENCY:- Fibre is an indigestible type of carbohydrate. If you completely eliminate carbohydrates from your diet then you also eliminate fibre and then you miss out on the benefits. If improving blood glucose control, promoting optimal bowel health and preventing cancer sounds good to you then be sure not to cut out all carbs.
I totally believe that overall low carbohydrate diets are an effective weight loss tool and also promote a healthy lifestyle. They also allow you to clean up your diet and cut out unnecessary starchy, processed and calorie heavy carbohydrates (such as bread and pasta) whilst keeping the natural, low calorie and nutrient rich carbohydrates (such as fruits and vegetables).
However, your body can not function without carbohydrates. It’s important to know the side effects of completely cutting carbs from your diet.
Make sure you eat a selection of fruits and vegetables which will give you adequate servings of fibre, vitamins and minerals.
