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Low-carb diets can meet nutritional needs
Health benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet: A recent study has found that low-carb diets can meet and sometimes even exceed nutritional needs. The study involved researchers from the University of Vermont (USA) and was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. The study examined skepticism about the nutritional quality of low-carb and similar diets.
These diets are often recommended for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels because they limit the intake of foods high in carbohydrates or added sugars, including sweets, starches and refined grains. Although low-carb diets have been shown to provide health benefits, including weight loss, skepticism about the nutritional quality of low-carb diets remains, according to researchers.
On the other hand, some argue that reducing carbohydrate intake leads to excess intake of protein or fat and undersupply of essential nutrients. For the study, researchers examined the nutritional adequacy of three different seven-day low-carb eating plans. Two of these were ketogenic diets, with one averaging about 20 grams of net carbs per day, while the other averaged about 40 grams of net carbs per day. The third was a more liberal eating plan, averaging about 100 grams of net carbs per day.
The authors said: “All three low-carbohydrate diets exceeded the (US) recommendations for vitamins A, C, D, E, K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate, and B12 in men and women aged 31 to 70 years and exceeded the calcium recommendations for adults aged 31 to 50 years.”
Beth Bradley, co-author of the study from the University of Vermont, said: “Our findings suggest that, in addition to their widely recognized ability to support weight control, low-carbohydrate dietary patterns may actually help improve diet quality and fill critical nutrient gaps.”
For certain subgroups of the population – such as younger women with higher iron needs or older people with higher calcium needs – the low-carb diets have slight deficiencies in some nutrients, the researchers say.
Additionally, they found that two of three meal plans in the study, which contained 40 grams and 100 grams of net carbs, respectively, also provided more than enough fiber for women ages 31 to 70. Although some low-carb diets are known to also be low in fiber, the researchers said the results do not support that theory.
Bradley explained: “The assumption that a low-carbohydrate diet must also be low in fiber is simply not supported by the data. High-fiber foods are actually an important part of a low-carbohydrate lifestyle, in part because choosing high-fiber foods can help lower net carbohydrate intake.
“Non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and in moderation even higher-carb fruits, starchy vegetables and whole grains can add fiber to the diet while keeping overall net carbohydrate intake under control, especially with the more liberal low-carb approach.”
The researchers added that the low-carb diets provided more protein than needed to prevent deficiency, but without providing an excessive amount that could be dangerous.
(With inputs from PTI)
