When you overindulge in carb-rich meals, you’re inhibiting your body’s fat burning mode. If you’re already overweight or obese, this means a lot of problems since you won’t be able to lose any stored fat.
So, until you turn on the fat burning mode or start a low carbohydrate diet, you won’t be able to lose even a pound of excess weight. Aside from that, here are the other health benefits of low carb diet you should know.
Aids in weight loss
If you want a dramatic reduction in your body mass index (BMI), then going on a low-carb diet can surely help. Several studies have shown how a low-carb diet can lead to a faster and more obvious weight loss than going on a low-fat diet.
In a certain randomized trial that consisted of two groups (low-carb and low-fat group), the low-carb group lost about 4kg more than the low-fat group. One striking feature of their weight loss was the significant reduction in their visceral fat, which happens to be one of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
Too much visceral fat is also a risk factor for insulin resistance, obesity and inflammation.
The quick weight loss that results from a low-carb diet is attributed to its insulin-lowering properties. When insulin is lowered, excess water is flushed out of the body as the kidneys try to get rid of too much sodium.
When you’re on a low-carb diet, you’re less likely to feel hunger pangs than when on a low-fat diet.
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Banishes insulin resistance
Low-carb diet has been reported in several human studies to be beneficial to both diabetics and non-diabetics.
Your body needs the hormone insulin to process glucose for energy. Whenever you eat something that’s high in carbohydrate, it triggers your pancreas to produce insulin. The more carb-rich foods you eat, the more insulin is produced.
In the long run, this excess glucose and insulin create a resistance and their receptors become incapable of recognizing them. This puts you at risk of several health issues. You may even be required to take medications just to control your blood sugar and help your body utilize glucose for energy.
Lowers your Triglyceride
Besides stress, a high carbohydrate diet is another major cause of high triglyceride levels. One good example is when you eat high fructose corn syrup and other forms of simple sugar.
When you switch from high-carb to low-carb, your triglyceride level goes down. This lowers your risk of getting a heart attack.
Elevates the “good cholesterol” (HDL)
Not all fats are bad for you. HDL (high-density lipoprotein), for example, is good for your body because it keeps your arteries clean from plaque build-up. It mops cholesterol to the liver for reuse or elimination.
When you increase your HDL, you are basically decreasing your risk of getting heart diseases and stroke. Going on a low-carb diet can elevate your HDL and improve the chemistry of your LDL.
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Maintains normal blood pressure
Several studies have shown that one of the health benefits of low carb diet is normalizing blood pressure. With normal blood pressure, you’re technically saving your body from kidney failure, eye problems and even stroke.
So what do you think? Are you ready to give low carb diets a try?