Due to extensive publicity, low carb diets have become increasingly popular. However there is considerable ambiguity over exactly what is low carbohydrate. Many companies have seen low carb popularity as a brand to be exploited.
Low Carb - A Definition
All food is made up of three primary macro nutrients - carbohydrates (or sugars), proteins, and fats. Low carb implies that the percentage of carbohydrate (by calorie) is low - but lower than what?
- High Carb 50-70% (USDA Food Pyramid)
- Moderate Carb 40-50%
- Low Carb 25-39%
- Very Low Carb 0-25%
However it is common to find that any diet less than 50-60% carb ratio is called a low carb diet. Depending on one’s sensitivity to carbohydrates, a moderate carb ratio may be better than a high carb ratio.
By definition, the lower the carb ratio - the higher the fat and protein ratio. Generally speaking a low carb diet will also tend to be a high protein diet.
Low Carb Diets
The following diets are generally all ‘lumped’ together under the definition of ‘low-carb’. However they actually are made up of little or no carbs - to some that are moderate carb.
| Ketogenic diet | A diet that is high in fat with moderate protein and virtually no carbohydrate. This diet will put the body in a state of ketosis, where ketones rather than glucose are used for energy. |
| Atkins | Atkins is a ketogenic diet for weight loss. |
| Sugar Busters | More like a moderate carb diet with a ratio of 30-40% carbs - but with a fairly low daily calorie intake. |
| Hampton’s Diet | Quite similar to Atkins, but with an emphasis on healthier fats - specifically macadamia nut oil. |
| Neanderthin | Considered to be low-carb - as all grains are to be avoided. |
| Carbohydrate Addicts | This diet is unusual in that 2 meals have no carbohydrate, and then a 3rd meal is made up of about 1/3 carbohydrates. Very much a low-carb diet - but not low enough for ketosis. |
| Rosedale Diet | Rosedale places emphasis on more fats and no starchy carbs. |
| Protein Power | This diet could also be considered low to moderate carb - with a similar ratio to the Zone Diet. |
| South Beach Diet | The South Beach Diet has an induction phase that is very low carb, but beyond this the diet is not really low carb at all. Effort is made to consume only low GI (Glycemic Index) and un-refined carbohydrates. |
| Zone Diet | Dr. Sears Zone Perfect diet has a ratio of about 40% carbohydrates (moderate). However many refer to it as a ‘low-carb diet’. |
| Fat Flush | This detox diet is not usually referred to as a low-carb diet - but it has about the same macro-nutrient ratios as the Zone (about 40% carb). |
| Anne Collins Low Carb Diet | 28-day plan in 2 phases: Phase 1 (14-days) average of 30g carbs per day- Phase 2 (14-days) average of 55g carbs per day. |
Other Low or Reduced Carb Diets
- Schwarzbein Principle
- Leptin diets
- Your Fat Can Make You Thin
- Specific Carbohydrate Diet
- Eat Fat, Get Thin
- Go-Diet
- Insulin Resistance Diet
- Life Without Bread
The Low Carb Industry
The surging popularity of low carb diets caused an entire food industry to appear seemingly overnight. An entire line of foods now bear the catchy name “low carb”. What’s unfortunate is that a lot of these foods are very processed, and are not rich in nutritional quality. Clever marketing has come to the fore, with terms like “Smart Carbs” and “Net Carbs” appearing on many products.
The craze began to decline towards the end of 2004.
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