The Disadvantages of Low Carbohydrate Diets

Keira Teserovitch

Professor Casey Flores

ENG 1201 - B59

5 May 2019
 Teserovitch 1

Over one hundred and forty years ago there was a London undertaker who was

sixty-six years old and morbidly obese. “William Banting was so overweight that he

couldn’t tie his own shoelaces”(Pasquale) and his weight eventually started to affect

other aspects of his body. Banting had trouble hearing so, he went to an ear, nose, and

throat doctor (ENT) who told him that the reason he couldn’t hear was because his fat

was pressing up against his inner ear. His ENT, Dr. Harvey, instructed him to eat “only

meat, fish, vegetables, and wine”(Pasquale) to see if it helped him lose weight quicker.

When it did, Banting decided to write the first book about low carbohydrate diets, Letter

on Corpulence. This all forms the question of what is a low carbohydrate diet, what are

the disadvantages of a low carbohydrate diet, and why do people still choose to pursue

them?

A low carbohydrate diet “limits carbohydrates — such as those found in grains,

starchy vegetables and fruit — and emphasizes foods high in protein and fat. Many

types of low-carb diets exist. Each diet has varying restrictions on the types and

amounts of carbohydrates you can eat”(Can a Low-Carb Diet Help You Lose Weight?).

Not only are there great disadvantages of low carbohydrate diets, but, if the person

does not continue to participate in the diet, all the weight lost will come back, as well as

high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The problem with this is that if one does

continue to participate in the diet, it can have detrimental effects on the body. At the

beginning stage in a low carbohydrate diet, the participant can consume only 20 grams

of carbohydrates, which is only 8 percent of total calories. One problem with this is that

“health experts recommend that we get between 45 and 65 percent of our calories from

carbs”(Torres). Another problem is that “When carbohydrate consumption falls below

 Teserovitch 2

100 grams, the body usually responds by burning muscle tissue for the glycogen (stored

glucose) it contains”(Torres). Glycogen is mostly stored “in your liver and muscles”(The

Hidden Dangers Of A Low Carbohydrate Diet). Once all of the glycogen in the muscle

tissue is used up, then the body will start burning fat tissue. This will make the

participant feel badly for a while because in order to burn fat tissue the body must

create ketones. Ketones are by-products that make the person feel tired, lightheaded,

nauseated, have headaches, and have bad breath. These symptoms occur due to the

build up of acetone that they ketones cause in your breath and urine. A person’s health

can greatly depreciate if not enough carbohydrates are consumed because “the human

brain requires the equivalent of 130 grams of carbohydrates a day to function

optimally—and that’s a minimum”(Torres).

Other ways that a person’s health can be effected are that the person’s

metabolism will slow down and their low-density lipoprotein and homocysteine levels will

increase and eventually affect their insulin sensitivity. In order to get rid of the ketones

that the body creates while in ketosis, the kidneys have to work overtime which puts the

person at risk for developing kidney stones. Every low-carb diet can deprive the body of

essential nutrients. If the body is deprived of whole grains it can cause metabolic

syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. If it is deprived of fruits and/or

vegetables it can cause heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Also, fruits and vegetables

help the body to stay thin so it is possible to actually put on more weight not eating fruits

and vegetable than if a person did eat them. Not eating beans while on a diet can cause

heart disease, cancer, and not enough protein, complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, or

soluble fiber in one’s diet. Also, without beans, the body will not get any saturated fat
 Teserovitch 3

which is necessary for body functions. Not eating dairy prevents the body from obtaining

good protein and calcium. Depriving the body of fiber can also cause diabetes, heart

disease, and stroke. Not getting enough vitamins and minerals can cause diabetes

because the body will have nothing to control blood sugar. Also, because most low

carbohydrate diets have a high fat content, it will increase the chance of obtaining some

types of cancer if the right fat is not consumed. Knowing all of this, people still decide to

participate in low carbohydrate diets.

Most people who choose to do a low carbohydrate diet use it solely for weight

loss. Of course once they stop the diet, all of their weight will come back. However, a

sudden cut of carbs can have many effects on the body such as: headaches, bad

breath, weakness, muscle cramps, fatigue, constipation or diarrhea, and skin rashes.

More risk factors are that when low carbohydrate “diets restrict carbohydrate intake so

much that in the long term they can result in vitamin or mineral deficiencies, bone loss

and gastrointestinal disturbances and may increase risks of various chronic

diseases”(Can a Low-Carb Diet Help You Lose Weight?). Due to these risks, low

carbohydrate diets are not recommended for pre-teens or high schoolers because their

bodies are still growing and need these essential nutrients. Consuming less than 20

grams of carbohydrates a day will lead to ketosis. Ketosis is “when you don't have

enough sugar (glucose) for energy, so your body breaks down stored fat, causing

ketones to build up in your body”(Can a Low-Carb Diet Help You Lose Weight?). Which

causes health issues if the body in ketosis for too long.

One type of low carbohydrate diet is called the ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet

is a low-carb, high-fat diet that is known to reduce blood sugar and insulin levels. The
 Teserovitch 4

way that this diet can have those health benefits is that it puts the body into ketosis by

replacing carbohydrates with fats so the body can burn fat for energy instead of

carbohydrates. As well as replacing carbs this diet “also turns fat into ketones in the

liver, which can supply energy for the brain”(The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner's

Guide). When on the ketogenic diet the participant would eat meat, fatty fish, eggs,

butter, nuts, healthy oils, avocados, and low-carb veggies. However, they would avoid

eating sugary foods, grains, fruit, root vegetables, and low fat or diet products. There

are four different versions of the ketogenic diet that have different proportions of dietary

intake. The standard ketogenic diet, or SKD, “is a very low-carb, moderate-protein, and

high-fat diet”(The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner's Guide) that “typically contains

75 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and only 5 percent carbs”(The Ketogenic Diet: A

Detailed Beginner's Guide). The cyclical ketogenic diet, or CKD, “involves periods of

higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days”(The

Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner's Guide). The targeted ketogenic diet, or TKD,

“allows you to add carbs around workouts”(The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner's

Guide). Lastly, the high-protein ketogenic diet has more protein than the standard

ketogenic diet and “the ratio is often 60 percent fat, 35 percent protein, and 5 percent

carbs”(The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner's Guide). The cyclical and targeted

ketogenic diets are the healthier of the four because it allows the body to get more

carbohydrates than the other two types. With the cyclical ketogenic diet, the participant

get two days of high carbohydrate meals to come out of ketosis and the targeted

ketogenic diet allows one to have as many carbohydrates that they are going to burn
 Teserovitch 5

while working out. The ketogenic diet is not the only low carbohydrate diet that people

can use.

A very popular, but dangerous, low carbohydrate diet is the Atkins diet. The

Atkins diet is a low carbohydrate diet that “restricts carbs (carbohydrates) while

emphasizing protein and fats”(Atkins Diet: What's Behind the Claims?) to help the

participant lose weight, eat healthier, or help with some medical concerns. This diet is

easy to do because Atkins sells prepackaged foods that can be bought straight from the

store as well as menus online. The way that the Atkins diet works is the same way the

other diets work. It puts the participant’s body into ketosis. When the body doesn’t

consume enough carbs, the body starts burning glycogen from the muscle tissue. When

the glycogen in the muscle tissue runs out, the body then begins to burn body fat by

forming ketones. When the ketones flood the bloodstream, body fat begins to burn off.

The Atkins diet is split into 4 different phases. In phase I, the participant is allotted 20

grams of carbohydrates a day, they must eat protein at every meal, they cannot have

fruits, and they must drink 8 cups of water a day. In phase II, the participant is allotted

12-15 grams of carbohydrates a day and they can slowly increase their vegetable,

berry, nut, and seed intake. In phase III, the participant gradually increases the foods

they normally eat and they should add about 10 grams of carbs each week. Phase IV, is

the end stage and they should continue eating that way forever to stay at their goal

weight. The participant should stay in phase I for at least 2 weeks, phase II until they

are 10 pounds from their goal weight, phase III until their goal weight, and phase IV for

the rest of their lives.

 Teserovitch 6

The Atkins diet can put a person’s body in chronic ketosis which can cause

cancer. Not only can chronic ketosis from the Atkins diet cause cancer but it also places

the kidneys “under increased stress and [they] will age more rapidly”(Fuhrman). It is

very hard to find these issues so by the time that the kidney problems are discovered, it

may be too late. While on the Atkins diet, one is not supposed to consume fruit because

of the carbs, however, if one does not consume any fruit, it can lead to stomach and

esophageal cancer. Also, with the high protein diet, it puts the participant at a higher risk

for developing colon cancer. In fact, Doctor Joel Fuhrman stated “Even in my private

medical practice, I have already seen numerous diabetic patients who have

permanently damaged their kidneys as a result of attempting weight loss and diabetic

control with high-protein diets”(Fuhrman). The Atkins diet contains almost no fiber, uses

foods that are known to cause cancer, and fruits and vegetables are totally excluded.

Therefore, the negatives from the Atkins diet outweigh the positives.

Not surprisingly, there is another type of Atkins diet, which is called the Eco-

Atkins diet. The Eco-Atkins diet is the same as the Atkins diet except, it uses all vegan

and vegetarian foods. Which leads to the question: “How can it still be considered a

high-protein diet when most protein rich foods are all from animals?” The answer is

simple, all of the protein needed for the diet comes “mainly from gluten, soy and nuts,

with typical foods being soy burgers, veggie bacon and breakfast links”(The ‘Eco-Atkins’

Diet). Although vegetarian and vegan diets are supposed to be healthier than a meat-

eater’s diet, it is not in this case because all of the risks from the regular Atkins diet are

the same for the Eco-Atkins diet.

 Teserovitch 7

Two not as popular low carbohydrate diets are the Mediterranean diet and the

Paleo diet. In the Mediterranean diet the participant must eat “an abundance of food

from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, potatoes, breads and grains, beans,

nuts, and seeds”(Wilson). This diet isn’t very popular because it isn’t very easy to follow

and the downsides to the diet can be very bad. For example, “The high mercury content

… of our fish and especially our seafood or shellfish”(Wilson) is not healthy for the body

to ingest so much of. Also, there are a lot of toxic chemicals in the environment that

ruins some fresh foods. These two problems make the benefits of this diet insignificant.

The Paleo diet “food choices are limited to what in prehistoric times could be

hunted, fished or gathered such as meats, fish and vegetables”(UC Davis Health).

Figure 1.1 shows what all you can and cannot eat while on the Paleo diet (Vandyken).
 Teserovitch 8

Figure 1.1

The downsides to this diet is that it is hard to keep going on the diet because it

increases the risk of osteoporosis due to the lack of calcium and vitamin D and it leads

to ketosis. Also, the saturated fat involved can lead to kidney disease, heart disease,

and certain types of cancer.

To see whether or not all of these statements about low carbohydrate diets were

true, I interviewed a family friend, Chris Fine, who is currently doing a low carbohydrate

diet of his own. Chris doesn’t eat and kind of bread due to the amount of carbs.

However, his adjusted low carbohydrate diet actually is not too bad for him due to the
 Teserovitch 9

balance of other energy sources such as his protein and fat intake. Chris said, “The

biggest mistake for most low-carb diets is that people go way overboard with the fat.

The more fat you eat, the worse you will feel and your body doesn’t start burning fat

until it burns off the glycogen from the muscles”(Teserovitch). Chris exercises at least

once every day just to make sure he doesn’t lose muscle mass and he just loses fat. So

far, he has lost about forty pounds from this workout and he doesn’t plan on stopping

any time soon. Chris is very aware of the risks to his health that a low carbohydrate diet

can do, but he said that he is “already at risk of all of these things so maybe it will start

to help prevent them”(Teserovitch).

Low carbohydrate diets can be helpful for those who actually need to lose weight

for medical purposes or if they are dieting with the help of a medical professional.

However, for those who do not need to lose that much weight and are dieting

irresponsibly, these diets can be detrimental to their health. The body needs

carbohydrates to survive and thrive. Without carbohydrates, the vital organs do not

function regularly because they do not have all of the energy needed to perform all of

their tasks. Ketosis is not something to mess around with. That being said, if a person

were to start a low carbohydrate diet it would be advised to ask a doctor, do an

abundance of research, or at least read this paper to warn them of the effects it may

have on their body.

 Teserovitch 10

Works Cited

“Atkins Diet: What's behind the Claims?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical

Education and Research, 16 Aug. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-

lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/atkins-diet/art-20048485.

“Can a Low-Carb Diet Help You Lose Weight?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for

Medical Education and Research, 29 Aug. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-

lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/low-carb-diet/art-20045831?pg=2.

Fuhrman, Joel. “Dangers of the Atkins Diet.” Health 101 ,

health101.org/art_Atkins_diet.htm.

Pasquale, Mauro Di. “A Short History Of The Low-Carbohydrate Diet.”

Bodybuilding.com, 22 Jan. 2019, www.bodybuilding.com/fun/md66.htm.

Teserovitch, Keira, and Chris Fine. “How to Create a Healthy Low Carbohydrate Diet.”

Apr. 2019.

“The ‘Eco-Atkins’ Diet.” Atkins, fr.atkins.ca/how-it-works/library/articles/the-eco-atkins-

diet.

“The Hidden Dangers Of A Low Carbohydrate Diet.” Ben Greenfield Fitness - Diet, Fat

Loss and Performance Advice, 10 Aug. 2018,

bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/low-carb-ketogenic-diet-articles/the-hidden-

dangers-of-a-low-carbohydrate-diet/.

“The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner's Guide to Keto.” Healthline, Healthline Media,

www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101.

Torres, Priscilla. “Why Low-Carb Diets Aren't the Answer.” Reader's Digest, Reader's
 Teserovitch 11

Digest, 31 Oct. 2017, www.rd.com/health/diet-weight-loss/why-low-carb-diets-

arent-the-answer/.

UC Davis Health, and Department of Public Affairs and Marketing. “Is the Paleo Diet

Safe for Your Health?” UC Davis Health,

health.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/2014-2015/06/20150603_paleo-diet.html.

Vandyken, Paul. “What Is The Paleo Diet | What To Eat On Paleo Diet | What Is Paleo –

The Paleo Diet™.” The Paleo Diet®, 15 Jan. 2019, thepaleodiet.com/what-to-eat-

on-the-paleo-diet-paul-vandyken/.

Wilson, Lawrence. “The Mediterranean Diet.” Drlwilson.com,

drlwilson.com/ARTICLES/MEDITERRANEAN DIET.htm.