Low Carb Diet – The Pros

 

We have seen a phase when everyone went hysteric about low carb diet. Basically, it was a popular phenomenon that was believed to trigger effective weight loss. What came as a surprise was the fact that low carb diet also offers some additional health besides plain weight loss. Let’s learn some pros of low carb diet.

• Weight management

If you are dedicated to losing weight, the first thing on the list of what-not-to-eat is carbohydrates. However after achieving weight loss, it is important to maintain that weight. Excessive carbohydrate intake will compromise all the efforts for losing weight. Also, bear in mind that a balanced diet must be maintained at all times. If you are shunning away carbs, more protein must be incorporated in diet.

• Elevates HDL cholesterol

HDL stands for high density lipoprotein but everybody knows it as good cholesterol. Recent studies suggest that there is a rise in HDL and decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol). If the levels of LDL are kept under check, it will be beneficial for heart health. Moreover, HDL running in your blood stream further reduces the risks of stroke or heart disease.

• Reduces blood pressure

If weight loss occurs, reduced blood pressure follows regardless of the diet. To support this finding, a survey was conducted that revealed half of the people on low carb diet were successfully able to discontinue their blood pressure medication but this ratio was not observed in people with a low fat diet.

• Reduces insulin levels in blood

The presence of insulin hormone in blood triggers the storage of fat and a carbohydrate rich diet leads to the release of more insulin. Hence, this hormone is linked to weight gain. Carbohydrate intake can be limited by eliminating certain carbs from the diet, including:

• Refined grains and pasta
• Soft drinks and junk food
• Bakery items and sweets
• Potatoes

• More triglycerides

Triglycerides are a form of storage fats that travel in blood.  When an individual is on low carb diet, the number of triglycerides is fairly reduced in blood. Besides, the consumption of leafy green vegetables and meat further contributes in lowering triglyceride concentration.