Are you wondering whether a low-carb diet is right for you? Here you'll learn about the most important advantages and disadvantages of this diet.
Table of contents
1. How does the low-carbohydrate diet work
A low-carbohydrate diet, also known as a " low-carb diet ," is simply a diet that reduces carbohydrate consumption. Along with fat and protein, carbohydrates are among the macronutrients that provide the body with energy.
Unlike micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, they provide us with energy for our basal metabolic rate, i.e., for basic bodily functions such as heart rate, breathing, and metabolism . The remaining energy is needed by the body for physical activity .
So if you eat a low-carbohydrate diet, this automatically means that you also need to consume more protein and more fat , as the missing energy from carbohydrates has to be replaced.
The ideal low-carb ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates is 50-60% fat, 20-35% protein , and 15-20% carbohydrates . The goal is not to almost completely eliminate carbohydrates, as with the keto diet , but rather to simply reduce them.
2. Who is the low-carbohydrate diet suitable for?
Essentially, anyone who desires sustained good mental performance, such as high performers or athletes. Diabetics or people who are particularly sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations benefit from a low-carbohydrate diet [1].
Only professional strength athletes, cross-country skiers, cyclists, swimmers, or triathletes should consult their sports physician or nutritionist before simply reducing their carbohydrate intake. Carbs are very important for physical energy levels and are therefore an important macronutrient, especially for endurance athletes [2].
3. What you need to pay attention to
You're probably thinking, "This low-carb diet sounds great, but what else can I eat?!" But it's actually not that crazy. You're not supposed to completely avoid carbohydrates, you just eat less of them.
Carbohydrates aren't inherently problematic! You should just avoid simple carbohydrates from products containing refined sugar, white flour, and all industrially processed foods. Complex carbohydrates from whole grains, oatmeal, dark rice, or potatoes are much better.
The goal of a low-carbohydrate diet is to eliminate performance slumps caused by insulin fluctuations . These are usually due to the consumption of simple carbohydrates.
As glucose, they enter the blood immediately after consumption and cause your insulin levels to spike. Thus, while they initially cause a rapid high, they shortly afterwards cause an equally rapid low due to the drop in blood sugar levels .
To avoid this effect and ensure more sustainable energy highs and lower lows , you must, on the one hand, reduce your carbohydrate consumption and, on the other hand, become significantly more demanding regarding the quality of the carbohydrates you consume .
4. Low-carbohydrate foods
If you're unsure which of your favorite snacks are suitable for a low-carb diet and which aren't, you should especially follow the sugar rule: Anything that contains sugar is high carb . And that doesn't just apply to sweet foods!
Frozen pizza, ready meals, pestos, and sauces also contain sugar, which is often simply well hidden. So, if you want to be sure you're really eating only low-carb foods , it's best to get into the habit of cooking everything yourself and avoiding sweets as much as possible.
You can find cooking inspiration primarily online. Just google low-carb recipes or follow our 15 recipes for a ketogenic diet . They're guaranteed to contain minimal carbohydrates.
Once you get the hang of the low-carb diet, you can discover many new recipes that you can easily vary and adapt.
By the way : Even if you're not ready to fully embrace the low-carb diet, you should at least consider starting your low-carb diet in the evening. This way, you can avoid annoying insulin surges disrupting your sleep —or even preventing you from falling asleep in the first place!
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5. Advantages and disadvantages of a low-carbohydrate diet
Less insulin fluctuations
Avoiding carbs is especially good for your blood sugar levels. Fewer carbohydrates mean fewer insulin spikes. And fewer insulin spikes mean fewer insulin crashes!
When insulin is released, the door is open to fat storage. Because insulin fluctuations are less pronounced on a low-carb diet , less fat is stored and instead burned gradually.
However, a low-carb diet does require some adjustment. And you'll feel it physically, too. Especially if you've previously been gorging on pasta, bread, and other high-carbohydrate foods every day .
Fatigue and bad mood
During the first few days of changing your diet , you may feel exhausted . You may even experience mood swings. This is because your body is adjusting.
The stomach and intestines must reorganize themselves in order to use proteins and fat as energy sources as effectively as they previously used carbohydrates.
But don't give up! To make the transition successful, you really have to be strict with yourself when it comes to eating enough fat and protein . Your body urgently needs the energy from the other macronutrients to compensate. Anyone who goes back to carbs now will quickly undo their progress!
More energy
Once you 've overcome the difficult initial phase , the greatest benefit of a low-carb diet becomes apparent: a consistent energy level . Fewer insulin fluctuations mean fewer ups and downs throughout the day, allowing you to consistently deliver your desired performance.
6. Differentiation from the keto diet
Many people confuse the keto diet with the low-carb diet. The key difference is that the ketogenic diet is significantly stricter than the low-carb diet . While on a low-carb diet, depending on the variation, you can consume between 50 and 130g of carbohydrates per day, the keto diet allows a maximum of 50g per day .
The goal of the ketogenic diet is also the so-called ketosis , a metabolic state in which energy is obtained from ketone bodies and not from glucose, which comes from carbohydrates [3].
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7. Conclusion
However, the fact is that a low-carb diet can help you avoid severe blood sugar fluctuations. This stabilizes your mental performance at work and, with a little luck, helps you fall asleep and sleep through the night.
A great way to stick to a low-carb diet is to create a low-carb meal plan. This allows you to pre-cook your meals and avoid the temptation to resort to quick fixes like sugary snacks.
8. Sources
[1] Bolla, AM; Caretto, A.; [...]; Piemonti, L. (2019), Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diets in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes , Nutrients, Volume 11, Issue 5, p. 962,[ https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/5/962 ]
[2] Kanter, M. (2018), High-Quality Carbohydrates and Physical Performance , Nutrition Today, Volume 53, Issue 1, p. 35 - 39, [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5794245/ ]
[3] Mohorko, N.; Černelič-Bizjak, M.; [...]; Jenko-Pražnikar, Z. (2019), Weight Loss, Improved Physical Performance, Cognitive Function, Eating Behavior, and Metabolic Profile in a 12-week Ketogenic Diet in Obese Adults , Nutrition Research New York, Volume 62, p. 64 - 77, [ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531718304627?via%3Dihub ]
