Topic > Low-Carbohydrate Diets and Its Mechanism of Action

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCD) are a diet plan that limits the intake of carbohydrates and replaces them with protein-rich foods. According to researchers, a low-carb diet does not necessarily replace carbohydrates with protein or fat, but rather reduces starch and sugar intake to say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay For people following a low-carb diet, managing energy intake is not necessary, as this diet plan focuses on consuming proteins and fats rather than carbohydrates. Even though both carbohydrates and proteins have the same amount of energy, 4 calories in a gram, carbohydrates are the cause of excess fat in muscles as they made up people's main diet and break down easily in the body. Although proteins are complex molecules, they take longer to digest and break down than carbohydrates. Furthermore, proteins are usually not used for energy but to maintain and replace tissues, to function and grow. However, when the body does not get enough calories from other nutrients or stored fats, protein will be used as an energy source. Therefore, consuming a larger amount of proteins will not be excessive for the body as they are the main element. In the low-carb diet, carbohydrate restriction reduces glucose availability, and in response, changes in insulin and glucagon concentrations will drive away fats. storage and maximize the oxidation of fats to produce energy, thus promoting the metabolism of adipose tissue. Additionally, lower carbohydrate consumption increases β-hydroxybutyrate, which suppresses the appetite and satiating effect of low-carbohydrate diets containing relatively high amounts of protein. In addition to this, weight loss is also due to the reduction of glycogen reserves present in the liver and muscles and excreted in the urine. However, recent studies show that rapid weight loss with this diet program will last for the first year, after which the level of weight loss will be slowed (Adam-Perrot, Clifton, & Brouns, 2006). Additionally, there are many other reports indicating a metabolic advantage in short-term (3-6 months) low-carb diets. In obese diabetic subjects, a low-cholesterol diet was associated with a significant reduction in body weight, BMI, fasting blood glucose, HbA1C, and a significant increase in insulin sensitivity at 6 months. Additionally, the most significant weight loss on a low-carb diet is between 3 and 6 months. Furthermore, short-term studies have been conducted which have shown that there is no negative impact on cardiovascular risk (Adam-Perrot, Clifton, & Brouns, 2006). In terms of health, a low-carbohydrate diet reduces the level of triglycerides and affects low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, indirectly triggered by the distribution of fatty acids and fat intake (Wylie-Rosett et al., 2012). In very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) there is also a reduction in triacylglycerols in the blood (Fig. 1). Figure 1: Regulatory pathway of ketone body formation during a low-carbohydrate diet. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay On the other hand, under the appearance.