{"id":2231,"date":"2019-10-19T09:02:53","date_gmt":"2019-10-19T13:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=2231"},"modified":"2022-03-09T09:46:38","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T13:46:38","slug":"high-carb-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/high-carb-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a High-Carb Diet Actually Healthy? Surprises from Science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are high-carb diets healthy? Recent dietary trends have taught us to shun carbs, but we also know that high-carb foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains are good for you. How do you know whether a low-carb or high-carb diet is healthiest?
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Studies show that a high-carb diet may be the healthiest out there. We’ll cover why low-carb diets are unhealthy and how you can transition to a healthy high-carb diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Problems With Low-Carb Diets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we examine the benefits of a high-carb diet, let’s look at some of the pitfalls of a low-carb diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though the high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet espoused by Robert Atkins has been widely discredited (more research coming next), our food culture remains highly influenced by it. Books like The Zone Diet, The South Beach Diet, Grain Brain, <\/em>and The Paleo Diet<\/em> continue to tell us that carbs are bad and fat is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common argument in these books is that the low-fat diets of the past didn\u2019t work. But Americans ate 13 more pounds of fat, per person<\/em>, in 1997 than they did in 1970. Although we spent much of the 90s reading and talking about low-fat diets, we never really tried<\/em> them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s look at the research on low-carb diets to quell our fear of carbohydrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low-Carb Diet Studies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A meta-analysis of 17 studies (with a total of 272,216 subjects) showed a 31% increase in deaths for people eating a low-carb diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies performed by the Atkins Center itself showed that 68% of people on its diet reported constipation, 63% had bad breath, and 10% experienced hair loss. The center also found increases in kidney stones, vomiting, missed periods, high cholesterol, vitamin deficiencies, and calcium in the urine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did Dr. Atkins address these known side effects of his diet? He recommended his patients each take over 30 supplements a day to rectify these \u201ccommon\u201d dieting issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, Paleo subjects, who also eat a high-fat, low-carb diet (they eliminate carbs from grains and legumes), show increased blood cholesterol and triglycerides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of a High-Carb Diet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, high<\/em><\/strong>-carb diets have been shown to reverse heart disease and diabetes, aid in weight loss, and prevent chronic diseases.<\/strong> This may be because complex carbohydrates contain large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and accessible energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these benefits only come from complex carbohydrates from whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole wheat pasta. Eating refined carbs in white pasta, white bread, candy, and desserts clearly won\u2019t make you healthier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Eat on a Healthy High-Carb Diet<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n