Carbohydrates do not have a good reputation for losing weight. It is believed that an excess of carbohydrate food in the diet is a surefire way to gain excess weight. However, a sharp reduction in carbohydrates, as a rule, does not lead to anything good. How much carbohydrate can be consumed without harming the body, and what are low carb diets?
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What are carbohydrates for?
Carbohydrates, first of all, is the main source of energy for our body. For a person with a normal weight, they should be up to 60% of the diet. If you look at the "health pyramid" of the world-famous Mediterranean diet, you can see that it is based on bread, cereals and legumes, and slightly higher vegetables and fruits. Simple carbohydrates are located at the very top of the pyramid - there are very few of them. In addition to providing energy, carbohydrates are involved in the synthesis of enzymes, hormones, and help to absorb some important trace elements, such as iron. Carbohydrates from plant foods are necessary for intestinal microflora, and they also remove harmful substances from the body.
How many carbohydrates do you need to not get fat
Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple and complex. Simple or fast carbohydrates include, among others, glucose and fructose. They are found in sugar, juices, sweet soda, fruits, dried fruits, berries, honey, ice cream, confectionery, etc. The norm for those who want to lose weight will be about 60 g of sugar per day, but not more than 100 g.
Complex carbohydrates are divided into disaccharides and polysaccharides. The latter include fiber and starch. The daily norm of starch is 250-300 g, the rate of fiber is 20-40 g. Complex or slow carbohydrates are found in cereals, cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits.
Why are low-carb diets dangerous?
Will a person really lose weight if he reduces the amount of carbohydrates in his diet? With a high probability - yes, but it is necessary to observe the measure here, since sudden changes can cause serious health problems. The most well-known low-carb diets are the Robert Atkins diet, the Pierre Ducan diet, the Kremlin diet, the Japanese diet, the spectacle diet, and many others. The main principle of losing weight in such diet is based on the fact that with a limited amount of carbohydrates, the body will begin to burn fat. But what is really going on?
Yes, fats really are “burned”, but not completely, but with the formation of a large number of ketone bodies, which become harmful to the kidneys and other organs. If you stick to a low-carb diet for a long time, you can find the following unpleasant symptoms:
- lethargy and weakness;
- sleep disturbance;
- bowel problems;
- deterioration of the skin, nails and hair.
You can resort to low-carb diets in exceptional cases and for a short time (no more than 2 weeks).