Low-Carbohydrate Diet

Excerpt

Since 1860, and more recently, in 1972, low carbohydrate (low-carb) diets have been a strategy for weight loss. Today, there continues to be an interest in low-carb approaches. While all low-carbohydrate approaches reduce the overall intake of carbohydrates, no clear consensus on what defines a low-carb diet exists. There are 3 macronutrients—carbohydrates (4 kcal/g), fat (9 kcal/g), and protein (4 kcal/g)—found in food. Therefore, studies have defined low carbohydrate as a percent of daily macronutrient intake or total daily carbohydrate load. This review defines low-carbo diets as follows:

1. Very low-carbohydrate (<10% carbohydrates) or 20 to 50 g/d

2. Low-carbohydrate (<26% carbohydrates) or less than 130 g/d

3. Moderate-carbohydrate (26%-44%)

4. High-carbohydrate (45% or greater)

For reference, the Institute of Medicine proposes Americans obtain 45% to 65% of calories from carbohydrates. This activity reviews the evidence and effectiveness of low-carb approaches in clinical medicine.