by Rodney Hopper

Created on: January 07, 2010

Low carbohydrate diets were at one time the fastest growing diet plans in the United States. The basic premise behind the low carbohydrate diet is that if there is a lack of carbohydrates in the body, then the body will go into a state of ketosis, a state in which the body burns off  ketones released from stored fats and proteins. Low-carb diets work extremely well for short term weight loss, there is no debate to that. The points that are debatable are whether this weight loss can be kept off long term and whether the diet itself provides the body with enough nutrients to maintain a healthy balance.

There has not been a formal objective long term account of low-carb dieting; however, there have been studies that show that low-carb diets provide vital nutrients needed to maintain a long term healthy lifestyle. The first factor is the effect on the brain, which is powered almost entirely by carbohydrates. Low-carb dieters have been shown to be less mentally alert and drowsy. Other major deficiencies are the lack of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber in the diet. These deficiencies lead to a number of diseases. Lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis. Vitamin C can prevent colds, cataracts, and heart disease. Vitamin A deficiency can go as far as blindness. Fiber helps prevent heart disease and diabetes.

The idea of adding supplements of these vitamins to the diet is all but laughable. If a person is insistent on remaining on a low carbohydrate diet, they should bend just enough to fit five servings of fruits and vegetables into his or her daily regimen.

This can be done relatively easily. For example, a cup of raw passion fruit has a fairly low amount of carbohydrates, 4g. Passion fruit provides an excellent source of both Vitamins A and C. A person can add fiber as well when a passion fruit's seeds are eaten.

A cup of dried pitted prunes provide 75mg of calcium, yet contains only 5g of carbohydrates.

Of course, this is showing the low (and possibly not very appetizing) end of the carbohydrate spectrum. A person might be surprised to know that a cup of raw orange contains a mere 14g of carbohydrates, while a cup of strawberries contains a small 11g.

This can be countered with an overall caloric reduction to somewhere around 1200-1500 for women and 1500-1800 for men. There are a few psychological factors as well, but they are standard with any diet. Low-carb diets can be very effective initially, but that is irrelevant if a person can not maintain their health.

Bibliography

http://www.citracal.com/Calcium/Foods/Fruits-Juices. aspx

http://content.health.msn.com/content/pages/7/3220_2 86.htm?lastselectedguid={B7F18B 8A-5BA8-43FC-B950-5FA349C6A692}

http://weightloss.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?s ite=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.health.msn.com%2Fcontent%2F article%2F3079.233

http://www.citracal.com/Calcium/Foods/Fruits-Juices. aspx

http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/blog/benefits-of -passion-fruit/

http://www.lowcarb-resource.com/lowcarbfruits.html

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