Are Low-Carb Diets Healthy?

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 1.    Low carbohydrate diets are a short term attempt to solve a long term problem.  Few people can maintain the usual low carbohydrate weight loss diets indefinitely. People often describe these diets as greasy and tiresome. The cyclical waxing and waning of low carbohydrate diet popularity is evidence of this. The diet works on the short term with good weight loss initially, but the diet becomes difficult to maintain in the long term. The diet does not teach long-term, healthful eating habits.

2.    There is a large body of research that shows that blood lipid profiles (cholesterol, LDLs, HDLs) are adversely affected when people eat high saturated fat and high cholesterol diets when the diets are not accompanied with weight loss. Most low carbohydrate diets are high in animal protein and fats. Since the traditional low carbohydrate diets for weight loss cannot be maintained indefinitely what are the consequences when weight is regained and the consumption of high fat, high animal protein diets with more carbohydrate become the usual diet? A change from this eating style to one that is lower in animal protein and fat with more plant foods would be a significant change.

It should be noted that not all low carbohydrate weight loss diets are the same.  Even the Atkins Diet was modified over the time of its cyclical reincarnations. The South Beach Diet is also different than the Atkins diet in that it encourages the consumption of certain fats considered healthful while limiting fats that are considered less healthful.

3.    Epidemiologic studies have indicated that people who eat plant based diets have lower incidences of certain chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and certain bone diseases compared to people eating high animal protein diets.  For this reason many nutritionists recommend diets higher in plant foods and lower in animal protein.  This healthful association of plant based diets, which are high in carbohydrates, has been further reinforced by research into the benefits of the Mediterranean diet that is low in animal protein, especially red meat.

Because many of the studies on animal versus plant based diets (high carbohydrate) are epidemiologic studies we don’t know for sure that there isn’t a confounding factor such as lifestyle that could account for some of the beneficial associations of a plant based diet. Still, the association of plant based diets with less incidence of certain chronic disease cannot be summarily dismissed.

4.    Research has documented many health benefits from eating diets with whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods contain many essential nutrients as well as phytochemicals for which we are only beginning to understand all of the health benefits. A truly low carbohydrate diet would be difficult to construct with recommended consumption of these foods. Certain low carbohydrate weight loss diets incorporate some vegetables, however, a variety of whole grains, fruits and vegetables is recommended. Consuming significant amounts of these foods is not possible with truly low carbohydrate diets.

5.    Ultimately, the promotion of high animal protein diets (which low carbohydrate diets generally are) is also bad for the individual and the planet in some indirect ways. In the United States we raise most of our animal protein in concentrated animal feed operations that create enormous issues around the disposal of animal wastes, water pollution, use of antibiotics, and production of green house gases. The FAO estimates that livestock production accounts for one-fifth of the green house gases caused by human activity and is a major contributor to general global pollution. The high use of antibiotics is also producing antibiotic resistant organisms that pose a significant threat to human health.

6.    Animal protein is a very inefficient use of resources. By necessity low carbohydrate diets are usually high in animal proteins. Livestock production requires large amounts of water, grain and energy. Animal protein production is a very inefficient use of these resources. This is a major concern in a world that is likely to struggle to feed itself especially as more people in India, China and elsewhere turn to higher protein diets. It is much more efficient to eat higher carbohydrate plant foods rather than feed them to livestock to produce high protein, high fat foods such as meat.