Can you cut carbohydrates without cutting nutrition? (© Adiruch na chiangmai – stile.adobe.com)
Burlington, Vt. – With low-carbohydrates diets that have double in popularity in the past ten years, they have proven to be effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, critics argue that they no longer fall on essential nutrients. A recently carried out study is now challenged by this belief, which shows that well -planned diets with carbohydrate -like carbohydrates can provide a full diet and at the same time keep carbohydrates at bay.
The study published in Limits in nutritionwas carried out by researchers from Simply Good Foods USA, Inc. and the University of Vermont. The researchers analyzed three different 7-day dining plans, each representing different carbohydrate restrictions. The most restrictive plan included only 20 grams of net carbohydrates per day (VLCD20), followed by a moderate plan with 40 grams (VLCD40) and a more liberal approach with low carbohydrate, which enables 100 grams (LCD100). For comparison, the average American is recommended to eat 130 grams of carbohydrates a day.
“Many Americans fight the nutrients that they need from typical options for food,” Ph.D. “Our results indicate that in addition to their established ability to support weight management, low -carbohydrates can actually help to promote better nutritional quality and to close critical nutrient gaps.”
These different carbohydrate mirrors are not arbitrary numbers. A carbohydrate limit of 20 grams typically helps people to reach ketosis, a metabolic state in which the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. The 40-gram plan offers more flexibility and at the same time offers the most ketogenic advantages, while the 100-gram plan offers a moderate approach that many find long-term sustainable.
When you listen to food labels from “network carbohydrates”, this refers to the carbohydrates that can actually digest your body and transform it into blood sugar. You calculate this by subtracting fiber and certain sugar alcohols from the entire carbohydrate number. This distinction is important because fiber and certain sugar alcohols do not significantly influence blood sugar levels.
The food plans included a variety of everyday foods instead of expensive special products. A typical day can include eggs with vegetables for breakfast, a salad with protein for lunch and a dinner around meat or fish with non-thicker vegetables. Snacks showed food such as nuts, cheese and protein bar with carbohydrate -like carbohydrates. These decisions were carefully selected to tackle common nutritional gaps in American nutrition.
Using the USDA’s comprehensive food database, the researchers analyzed any nutrient in these menu. They looked beyond basic vitamins and minerals to examine fatty acid conditions, fiber content and the balance of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. This detailed analysis revealed several surprising findings on the quality with low -carbohydrate diet.
All three approaches exceeded the recommendations for essential nutrients. The plans delivered more than enough vitamins A, C, D, E, K and B vitamins and decisive minerals, while they remain within safe limits. This requires the general conviction that cutting carbohydrates means that it misses important nutrients. Even the most restrictive plan with only 20 grams of neto -arcades met most nutrient requirements or exceeded.
“The idea that a low -carbohydrate diet also has to be only slightly in fiber is simply not supported by the data,” explains Bradley. “Fill-sized foods are actually an important part of a lifestyle with a low carbohydrate, partly because fiber-rich food selection help to reduce net carbohydrate intake.” She notes that non-stronger vegetables, nuts and seeds and even moderate amounts of fruit and whole grain products with higher carbohydrate can contribute fiber and at the same time keep the netboohydrates at bay.
The findings of the fiber contents have emerged in particular because most Americans do not complete the recommendations of fibers. The moderate and liberal carbohydrate plans provided enough fiber to meet daily demands for women and older men, which proves that reducing carbohydrates does not mean sacrificing this essential nutrient.
While these food plans contained more fat than conventional nutrition guidelines, they showed several advantages of fat quality. Most Americans consume omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a ratio of around 8: 1, but these menu reached the ratio between 1.5: 1 and 2.6: 1. This improved ratio was with lower level of inflammation and associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
The study showed that these diets contained more saturated fat than current guidelines. However, the research team emphasizes that the health effects of saturated fat probably depend on its source and the overall context of nutrition. For example, saturated fatty acid from dairy products seems to influence health differently as saturated fatty acids of processed food.
The protein content in the food plans exceeded the minimum recommendations, but remained in the acceptable range of 10 to 35% of daily calories. This higher protein intake can actually benefit general health, since protein preserves muscle mass in weight loss and supports healthy aging.
The balance between sodium and potassium turned out to be better than typical American diets. Although the plans have slightly exceeded the sodium recommendations, they had a healthier relationship between sodium-potium relationship than most Americans. Studies suggest that this relationship can be more important for heart health than the entire sodium intake alone.
“Nutrition is often more complex than simply the sums that you see on a menu or a food label,” says Bradley. “From which foods from which their nutrients come from and how they fit into the wider context of their entire diet can play a more important role in determining health results.”
Middle -aged women who represent the largest group of Dieters with carbohydrate -like carbohydrates saw how their nutritional needs exceeded or exceeded in all three plans. However, some potential gaps were found in the study: younger women may need an additional iron supplement, while older adults may need additional calcium to cover their higher needs.
Some nutrients in these plans with carbohydrate -like carbohydrates have proven to be particularly abundant. The vitamin -D mirror exceeded the recommendations in all three diets -remarkably, since vitamin D deficiency affects many Americans. The plans also provided generous quantities of CholineA nutrient that is important for the health of the brain, which many people have difficulties from food.
In short, there are no important nutrients with low -carbohydrates. This research shows that you can actually provide a full diet and at the same time support the treatment of conditions such as type -2 diabetes. The success depends on thoughtful options and proper planning, whereby attention is paid to the inclusion of nutrients in carbohydrate limits.
Paper summary
methodology
The researchers created three different 7-day diet plans with different carbohydrate restrictions and worked with a nutritionist to ensure that the plans use easily available food. They analyzed the nutritional content using the USDA’s comprehensive food database and examined everything from macronutrients to vitamins and minerals. The analysis compared the nutrients with both the recommended nutritional authorization (RDA) for individuals and with the estimated average requirement (OR) for population groups.
Results
All three menu with carbohydrate -like carbohydrates delivered more than enough essential vitamins and minerals, while carbohydrates were kept low. They exceeded the recommendations for important nutrients such as vitamins A, C, D and B vitamins, calcium and protein. The plans also achieved better conditions of healthy fats and kept an appropriate sodium level compared to typical American nutrition. Perhaps the most impressive are the temperate and liberal plans with carbohydrate -like carbohydrates for most adults to the fiber requirements.
restrictions
Theoretical food plans were used in the study instead of pursuing the inclusion of the actual dieters. This means that it does not take into account how people can change or deviate plans in real life. The analysis also did not take into account any dietary supplements that many people carry out. In addition, the food plans provided fewer calories than for men, which could affect their practical application.
Bissing tracks and discussion
Research shows that well -designed diets with low -carbohydrates can offer a complete diet and at the same time restrict carbohydrates. This requires the common conviction that carbohydrate -low diets are naturally poor. The study also shows how important it is to achieve proper meal time planning and food selection for achieving a nutritional sense for every diet.
Financing and disclosure
The study was financed by Simply Good Foods USA, Inc., which has brands of Atkins® and Quest Nutrition®, which sell food with carbohydrate -like carbohydrates. Two of the study authors are employees of the company, of whom a shareholder.
Publication information
This study was published in Limits in nutrition On August 30, 2024. Research was carried out by Lani Banner and Jonathan Clinthorne by Simply Good Foods USA, Inc. and Beth H. Rice Bradley from the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Vermont.