By Modia Batterjee

Many people in the Kingdom are on low carbohydrate, high protein diets. This is a serious concern, because these individuals may not understand the consequences of such diets. These low carbohydrate diets may cause weight loss, but the question is how and what do they really do to your body? Let’s venture on an educational trip about your body.

First, I would like to point out that the reason living beings eat is to maintain energy, this energy is used to maintain life. The most important thing to keep in mind is what professionals call “Energy-Balance”; this means what goes in must equal what is spent. If your calorie (total food) intake equals 1500 Kcal than you must expend (burn) in daily activity up to 1500 Kcal.  If this balance is not maintained, an excess will cause weight gain and a shortage will force your body to seek other energy sources (muscles, fat, or even glycogen stored in liver).

The human body uses three different energy sources. These sources include fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Each has its own function.  Fats are used to provide energy, maintain body temperature, protect body organs, and build cells. Protein has many functions including growth and repair of body tissues, maintenance of homeostasis (temperature and fluid balance in the body), transportation of vitamins and minerals around the body, and it provides “some” energy. Carbohydrates are used primarily to provide energy for daily activities (e.g. running, thinking, breathing, etc.). This is the most available and necessary energy source to maintain body function. Fat can be used for energy as well, but not alone. Carbohydrates must be available for the body to burn the fat.  “Fat is said to burn in the flame of carbohydrate”. Protein may be used for energy if carbohydrates are not available, which may occur with low carbohydrate diets.  which is not healthy.

Carbohydrates stored in the body are mainly located in the muscles and organ tissues.  If the carbohydrate intake is low from the diet, these stores will be used (the first few kilos lost on the diet). When the body runs out of carbohydrates to supply the brain and nerves with energy, it turns to other sources. And this is when protein is needed and is used for energy. However, even when used together, fats can only supply 10% of needed energy, and protein must supply the other 90%. This protein will be taken from body tissues, including the liver and muscles.

The result of the body using its protein as an energy source is Ketosis. Ketosis is a chemical byproduct of the incomplete breakdown of body fat which puts the body in a state of self-destruction, due to the lack of carbohydrates. A condition similar to what the anorexic or diabetic will experience in extreme situations.

Those who are on a low carbohydrate diet or consider it are attracted because it brings dramatic weight loss within the first few days. This is an illusion caused by not realizing that most of this weight lost is not fat, but of the stored energy (carbohydrates and protein) from muscles and organs, also a great deal of water and important minerals. When on a low carbohydrate diet the dieter may lose up to 3 Kg, they do not realize that 1 Kg may be from fat, but at least 2 Kg are muscle, liver tissue, water and minerals.

Another point we would like to stress is that when on such a diet the metabolism (rate of energy use) is slowed down. This is because once the body shifts into ketosis it tries to conserve its fat and lean tissue (save the energy) to stay alive. When the muscles waste and get smaller they do less work; therefore they demand less energy. Because of the decreased metabolism the loss of fat is reduced to a minimum. Hence, weight loss may seem dramatic, but fat loss is much less then the dieter may think.

As soon as the dieter goes back to his or her normal eating habits, the body is in a panic to restore its needed materials and the weight will be gained back quickly, often to a higher weight than when he or she started.

It is important to know that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is a change of lifestyle. Such as choosing healthy food and increasing physical activity will truly and successfully keep your weight down for a lifetime. Experts recommend a balanced diet that will provide all necessary components.