Low-carbohydrate diet

Low-carbohydrate diet

Low-carbohydrate diets like the Zone and Atkins diets, are food diets that advocate lowered carbohydrate consumption. Under these dietary regimes, carbohydrates are replaced by increased consumption of protein, thereby taking advantage of the fact that if the human body is not provided with sufficient carbohydrates, it starts burning of fatty acids, regardless of caloric consumption.

Critics observe however that low carbohydrate/high protein diets are not without harmful side effects. High protein diets may encourage over-consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, which may increase the risk of heart disease. Moreover, the kidneys can become overworked and may suffer damage in the process. Also, during this process, certain chemicals called ketones are released into the bloodstream, and may cause headaches, tiredness, nausea, dehydration, dizziness, constipation and bad breath.

Critics of low carb/high protein diets also point out that from an environmental point of view the increased consumption of animal protein places a great burden on the world's natural resources and is not sustainable.

In response to consumer demand for low-carb foods, the food industry has been marketing low-carb products in recent years.