Other Benefits Low-carb diets that emphasize healthy sources of carbohydrates, fats and proteins can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In fact, almost any diet that helps you lose excess weight can improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, at least temporarily. It's perfectly healthy to follow a low-carb diet, as long as it includes a variety of nutritious, whole, and unprocessed foods. Low-carb diets can be good for heart health, as they can increase good cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
In addition, many are low in healthy and natural sources of carbohydrates, such as fruits, beans, and minimally processed whole grains. A trial showed that 20-gram and 50-gram carbohydrate diets equally helped healthy volunteers maintain ketosis. The main fear about low-carb and high-fat diets has been to potentially increase the risk of heart disease. Research often uses many different classifications, but as an overview, a low-carb diet is one in which between 20 and 30% of total daily energy intake comes from carbohydrates.
Studies show that some people successfully lose weight on a low-carb diet, just as they do on a low-fat or Mediterranean-style diet. However, a large part of the brain can also burn ketones, which are formed during starvation or when carbohydrate intake is very low. Another strong option is to simply have a cup of coffee, as many people are less hungry on a low-carb diet and may not need breakfast. As you said, the Mediterranean diet ends with a weight loss similar to a low-carb diet after 2 years on the chart.
Low-carb might help calm a grumpy bowel and often reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, cramps, and pain. Studies have shown that low-carb diets are at least as effective, if not more, than other diets. Low-carb diets are likely to have a positive effect on PCOS, a common hormonal problem in women that can affect fertility. A low-carb diet is always relatively low-carb, but not necessarily low enough for people to achieve ketosis.
