Carbohydrates are your body’s source of energy. It’s important to meet your daily carb needs to prevent unpleasant side effects. Low-carb diets, when coupled with an increase protein intake, are often effective for weight loss. However, a study published in a 2012 edition of “Physiology and Behavior” reports that the high-protein component of these weight-loss diets, not the low-carb component, is what causes weight-loss success.
Ketosis occurs when your body runs out of carbohydrates as fuel and breaks down stored body fat as energy. During this process, ketones build up in the body, which can cause headaches, nausea, difficulty focusing mentally and bad breath. MayoClinic.com suggests restricting your carb intake to less than 20 grams per day causes ketosis.
Since carbs are such an important source of energy for your body, eating too few carbs can really drag you down. MayoClinic.com reports that drastically cutting carbs can lead to fatigue, weakness and even dizziness. Feeling tired from an insufficient carb intake means you’ll likely have less energy to be physically active. Low-carb diets can severely inhibit athletic performance, since carbs are a crucial energy source during exercise.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that aids in gastrointestinal health and helps prevent constipation. Eating too few carbs means you’re likely not meeting your daily fiber requirements, which increases your risk constipation. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 suggests men eat at least 38 grams and women consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily.
Your minimum carbohydrate needs are 130 grams per day, which is the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for carbohydrates, according to the Institute of Medicine. If you’re pregnant or nursing, your carb RDA is 175 grams or 210 grams per day, respectively. Most athletes require additional carbohydrates. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reports that endurance athletes generally need 2.3 to 5.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight each day. This means a 150-pound endurance athlete requires 345 to 825 grams of carbs daily, depending on training intensity and duration.
Articles For Your Diet
- Physiology and Behavior: Relatively High-Protein or 'Low-Carb' Energy-Restricted Diets for Body Weight Loss and Body Weight Maintenance?
- MayoClinic.com: Low-Carb Diet: Can it Help You Lose Weight?
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Eat Right for Endurance
- Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images