Low Carb Pros
- Promotes a wholefood diet - Often a low carb diet is one that revolves around real, unprocessed food. Think lean animal protein like fish and poultry, heart-healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, and loads of non-starchy, micronutrient-rich vegetables.
- Enhances weight loss - A low carb diet focuses on increasing your intake of satiating protein and healthy fats, as well as non-starchy vegetables, which add volume to your meals without clocking up the calories.
- Supports healthy blood sugar levels - Cutting back on carbs can help lower the amount of the hormone insulin that’s circulating in the body. Insulin transports glucose from the blood to the cells to keep blood sugar in a normal range. Higher insulin levels can also promote fat storage.
- Appetite control - While refined carbohydrates can induce a blood sugar spike and crash, protein has the opposite effect, helping to keep your blood sugar (and therefore your energy levels) steady. Heart-healthy fats can help you feel fuller for longer because 1) They provide a well-rounded, lingering mouthfeel, and 2) They delay stomach emptying. So by eating more fat, you’ll probably eat less.
- Easier to stick to than a keto diet - A keto diet is even lower in carbs than a low carb diet, while also being much higher in fat than it is in protein; this can result in undesirable side-effects (including headaches, nausea and vomiting, AKA the ‘keto flu’), which you’re less likely to experience on a low carb diet.
Low Carb Cons
- Digestive issues - By eliminating wholegrains, legumes, and starchy fruit and vegetables (all high in carbohydrates), you’ll be significantly reducing your daily fibre intake and may experience constipation. You’ll also be reducing the variety of plant-based foods that promote a diverse and healthy gut microbiome.
- A low carb state of mind - You might experience moodiness, irritability and brain fog, especially at the initial stages. This is because the brain’s preferred fuel source is glucose, a sugar which you’ll suddenly be giving your body less of when you reduce your carb intake.
- Might not be conducive to a plant-based diet - Unlike animal protein and excluding tofu, most plant-based sources of protein (like lentils, beans and chickpeas) are high in carbs.
- Minimal fruit - Low carb diet devotees tend to either avoid fruit altogether, or include a small amount of lower carb fruit, like berries. Decreasing the diversity of fruit (and other higher carb plant-based foods like wholegrains) in your diet however can mean you’re potentially missing out on the vitamins, minerals, unique antioxidants and other nutrients they have to offer.