BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Low Carb Are low carb diets bad for you?

Hi everyone, I am new to the low carb forum and I just want to get your views. I followed the "curves" low carb diet a number of years ago and it was very successful but there was a lot of negative media coverage about low carb diets and I gave it up. I have read that low carb diets can be bad for your kidneys and digestive system in particular the intestines because of the slow transit time if you are not eating enough wholegrain fibre as you would not be on a low carb diet and I need some reassurance in that regard because I am thinking abount going back on that way of eating becasue I find it great for control. I suppose my question is is it healthy to just eat tonnes of vegetables and lower sugar fruit?

Actually that's a mistaken view. You should be eating MORE fiber on a low carb diet than most people eat. The point of low carb is to avoid sugar - not fiber

It's never healthy to just eat vegetables You have to eat a balanced meal, which includes things other than veggies

I agree Lisa! Try following a Low Glycemic Diet , which is better for your blood sugar, your metabolism and your overall health.

The Glycemic Index basically weeds out "bad" carbs, or those high on the glycemic index, from "good" carbs, or those low on the index -which contain less sugar.

I hope that I did not come across as critical of low carb diets/lifestyle. I was just posing the question that if one cuts back on carbs can it have a bad effect on one's health.
Also, I did not mean that I would survive on vegetables - what I used to do when I was following a low carb eating plan was have low sugar fruit like berries or melon with natural youghurt for breakfast and salads and / or vegetables with fish or chicken for lunch and dinner.

In my experience, extremes of anything tend to be unhealthy. Keep that fiber coming. A vegetable/fruit dominant diet is good as long as it's not EXCLUSIVE to those things.

I'm getting so confused, with the should I or shouldn't I. Whats good whats bad ;o(

You're right it can be bad for your health if you cut good carbs from your diet. However, you can't go wrong cutting things like sugar, white flour and processed foods.

Becki - I'm still trying to figure out why you would feel that not eating sugar and starch is bad for your health. It's not like any human ever gets a "zero sugar" diet - there are natural sugars even in vegetables. You always get more than enough to maintain your body's normal healthy processes.

What do you feel would be unhealthy about not eating a ton of sugar?

Joanj - is right - you are still eating GOOD carbs. Low carb is NOT zero carb. It is about eating healthy carbs - broccoli, zucchini, etc. It is about avoiding chocolate chip cookies