Low carb means 'less carbohydrates' and is the collective term for a large number of different diets and nutrition modes.
Their common denominator is that foods rich in carbohydrates are avoided or at least greatly reduced. Meals rich in protein and fat are given preference.
The best-known low carb diets include the strict Atkins diet, the still relatively new Glyx diet as well as the Logi method or the 'Stone Age diet'.
The low carb diet leads to faster weight loss than many other diets, which makes it very interesting for overweight people who want to lose weight quickly.
The basic approach that reducing carbohydrates can lead to weight loss finally working out even for people who have not had success with other diets was revolutionary during Dr. Atkins' times.
His strict low-carb rules have since been developed further by many other nutrition experts and modified to varying degrees. They all agree that it is not the high amount of meat, fish, sausage and fat that favours obesity, but rather the carbohydrate-rich 'healthy' foods such as cereals, whole grain products, pasta, rice and potatoes, which used to be warmly recommended.
Many overweight people have been advised to reduce fat and proteins and instead of it eat enough carbohydrate-rich foods. Why this didn't work out for many people could be explained by the fact that our digestive tract still works as it did in the Stone Age.
Back then, 10,000 years ago, when humans were hunters and gatherers, there was no agriculture. Carbohydrates, such as those found in cereal, legumes and vegetables, were scarce goods because the Stone Age people were not settled yet. They lived mainly on what they hunted such as mammoths, which provided them with animal protein and fat. This low-carb diet was supplemented primarily with berries and wild herbs.
Today there are carbohydrates in abundance. The problem with this oversupply, however, is that our digestive system has not yet fully adapted to this changed diet.
This is why many people have metabolic disorders that also have a negative effect on fat burning. If you reduce the carbohydrates, these function disorders will be gone.
Another reason that low carb makes it easier to lose weight is the fact that if you don't eat bread, potatoes, pasta and rice, fewer calories are automatically consumed, as hardly anyone can compensate for the carbohydrate reduction by consuming more meat, sausages, milk and fat.
As easy as it is to carry out low carb in practice, certain deficiencies could arise in the long term if foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as bread, potatoes, pasta, many types of fruit and other products containing carbohydrates are largely avoided.
Another problem could be the appetite for something tasty like candy or cake. These contain a lot of simple carbohydrates that stimulate the release of insulin and quickly lead to cravings.
In order to prevent nutrient deficiencies and to satisfy cravings for sweets, low carb diet products are recommended, which are available in a wide variety of dosage forms. Whether as a low carb powder, low carb bar, or low carb food – they are all compiled in such a way that they effectively support a low carb diet.
If you stick to the consumption recommendations stated on the low carb diet products, there is no risk of undesirable side effects or interactions with medications.