Low Carbohydrate Diets Essay -- Science Research Weight Diet Essays

Low Carbohydrate Diets What is a carbohydrate? A carbohydrate is a member of a large class of natural organic substances. Carbohydrates are in almost everything we eat, sometimes in very small amounts but often times in substantial quantities. Some examples of common carbohydrates are sugars, starch and cellulose. Carbohydrates are important because they provide a storage of energy in our bodies that is quickly accessible. In fact, carbohydrates make up the major source of dietary energy for people all over the world (Stephen 1995). In addition, carbohydrate intake increases levels of a substance called tryptophan in the body, which releases serotonin in the brain. Whether this phenomenon affects our hunger and eating habits is still unclear (Fairburn 1993). Carbohydrates are in almost everything we eat, like sugars, starches and cellulose. What you will find on the web about low-carb diets... Almost all of the information that you'll find on the world wide web about the subject of low-carb diets is basically the same. There are thousands of documents, so rather than reading each one of them just look at this brief summary of the information that is out there. Following the web summary is a literature summary of the information contained in published professional and scientific journals about the topic of low-carb diets. What is a low-carb diet? What is the purpose of a low-carb diet? Low-carbohydrate diets are essentially very simple. The idea is that by restricting daily carbohydrate intake, cravings for carbohydrates will eventually subside, resulting in a lower amount of food consumption and weight loss. Low-carb diets are meant to be used as general weight loss plans, especially for people who a... ..., 1995. Peterson, C.M., and L. Jovanic-Peterson. "Randomized crossover study of 40% vs. 55% carbohydrate weight loss strategies in women" Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 14(4):369-75, Aug, 1995. Racette, S., et all. "Effects of aerobic exercise and dietary carbohydrate on energy expenditure and body composition during weight reduction in obese women". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 61(3):486-94, March 1995. Stephen, A.M., G.Seiber, Y.Gerster, and D.Morgan. "Intake of carbohydrate and its components-- international comparisons, trends over time, and effects of changing to low-fat diets". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 62(4):851S-867S, Oct. 1995. Wing, R.R., J.Vazquez and C.Ryan. "Cognitive effects of ketogenic weight reducing diets" International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders. 19(11):811-6, Nov 1995.