Milly Gaines
Cutting carbs from your diet can have several effects on your body and health. While it may lead to weight loss, it can also result in constipation, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and other symptoms often referred to as the low-carb flu. Nutritional ketosis, a state where the body burns fat instead of carbohydrates, can lead to higher levels of uric acid, potentially causing kidney stones or gout. Additionally, low-carb diets are typically low in fiber, which can negatively impact digestion and gut health. Furthermore, avoiding carbs may result in insufficient nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, and can be challenging to sustain long-term. However, cutting back on simple carbs from processed foods may provide health benefits, especially for those with type 2 diabetes. Overall, while reducing carb intake may aid in weight loss and have some positive effects, it is important to consider potential downsides and consult a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes.
What happens if I cut carbs from my diet?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Weight Loss | Carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient, and cutting them out forces your body to burn fat stored around your midsection for energy. Studies show that low-carb diets outperform low-fat diets in terms of weight loss. However, it is mostly water weight at first. |
| Belly Flattening | Replacing simple carbs with high-fiber foods can cause your belly to flatten out. |
| Increased Fatigue | Carbohydrates provide most of the fuel for daily activity and functioning, so you may feel more tired and sluggish if you cut them out. |
| Constipation | Low-carb diets are also low on fiber, which can lead to constipation. |
| Digestive Issues | Cutting out carbs can cause gas to get trapped in your digestive tract, making your stomach feel too full and hurt. |
| Bad Breath | When your body runs on fatty acids instead of carbs, it releases ketones through your breath, which may smell fruity or sweet. |
| Lower Blood Sugar | Cutting out carbs can lower your blood sugar levels. |
| Kidney Stones | Nutritional ketosis may bump up uric acid levels, leading to kidney stones or gout flares. |
| Increased Cholesterol | Low-carb diets may increase LDL ("bad cholesterol") in some people. |
| Nutrient Deficiency | A no-carb diet may not provide enough vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin C, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies such as sodium and potassium over time. |
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What You'll Learn
Weight Loss
Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients that the body needs, along with protein and fat. Carbohydrates are rich in starch, fibre, and water. Simple carbohydrates, such as those found in cookies, candies, chips, and sugary drinks, are highly processed and provide quick energy. They cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin secretion, which can lead to weight gain if consumed in excess.
Low-carb diets are often promoted for weight loss and are claimed to have various health benefits, such as lowering the risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. When you cut carbs from your diet, you will initially lose weight, but it is mostly water weight. This is because cutting carbs also depletes the glycogen stores in your muscles, and glycogen helps your body retain water. You may also lose some salt. However, when you start eating carbs again, the water weight returns.
It takes about 2-3 weeks for your body to enter ketosis, a state where it starts burning fat for energy instead of relying on sugars from carbohydrates. During ketosis, your body releases ketones through your breath, which can cause bad breath. Extremely low-carb diets can also lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
While cutting back on simple carbohydrates can be beneficial, it is important to note that carbs are a crucial part of a balanced diet and should not be excluded entirely. Instead, focus on complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, which provide fibre and are digested more slowly, preventing blood sugar spikes. Additionally, increasing your protein intake can help you feel fuller for longer and boost your metabolic rate.
It is important to consult with a healthcare professional or a dietitian before making any significant dietary changes, as cutting out an entire food group can be restrictive and challenging to sustain long-term.
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Fatigue and Weakness
Carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient, and our brains prefer glucose as their primary energy source. When you cut carbs from your diet, your body is forced to find an alternative energy source for the brain. It will switch to breaking down fat into ketones, an alternative to glucose. This puts the body into ketosis, a state with elevated ketones, which can lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
The "low-carb flu" is a term used to describe the symptoms of cutting carbs from your diet, which can include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headaches, irritability, and nausea. These symptoms can last from a few days to several weeks. Glucose and carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for our brains, so adjusting to a reduced intake of these nutrients will have effects on your energy levels and overall functioning.
The lowest safe amount of carbohydrates is about 50 grams daily, according to the Mayo Clinic. Consuming less than this amount can lead to major dips in energy. When you cut carbs, you may also lose weight, mostly water weight at first, as cutting carbs wipes out the glycogen stores in your muscles, and glycogen helps your body retain water.
Ketosis can also lead to higher levels of uric acid, which can cause kidney stones or gout flares. Some studies have linked low-carb diets to increased mortality, kidney damage, osteoporosis, and impaired physical activity. Additionally, low-carb diets are also low in fiber, which can lead to constipation and other digestive issues.
While cutting carbs may promote weight loss and better management of diabetes or prediabetes, it is important to consult a professional before making any drastic changes to your diet.
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Digestive Issues
Carbohydrates are rich in starch, fibre, and water. Fibre helps add bulk to stools and makes them easier to pass. Fibre also promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Therefore, cutting out carbs may cause constipation and other digestive issues. However, this usually clears up in a few weeks. In the meantime, you can get some fibre from watery fruits like watermelon. Staying well-hydrated and getting enough electrolytes may also help alleviate these symptoms.
Cutting out carbs may also cause bloating. This is because the healthy gut microbes that keep us lean have less to munch on, and unhealthy microbes—which cause bloating—take over.
Some population studies have linked low-carb diets to increased mortality. Other research suggests that low-carb diets may increase LDL ("bad cholesterol") in some people, possibly due to the lack of fibre in low-carb diets.
In addition, research shows that most people with restrictive eating patterns tend to eat fewer foods with phytochemicals, which offer cancer-protective factors.
According to a 2020 review published in Nutrition Reviews, the quality of carb-containing foods in your diet is more important than their quantity. In other words, choose whole grains, fruits, and vegetables over sugary drinks, candies, and baked goods.
If you are considering cutting out carbs, it is important to consult a professional to find out what is best for you.
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Kidney Complications
Cutting carbs from your diet can have several effects on kidney function, especially if you have existing kidney disease. Nutritional ketosis, which is a state your body enters when you cut carbs, may increase uric acid levels, leading to kidney stones or gout flares. One study found that people with mild chronic kidney disease who went on the keto diet did well with close medical supervision. However, other studies show that diets high in red meat and low in whole grains, low-fat dairy, and fruit increase the likelihood of developing kidney disease by 97%.
If you have healthy kidneys, there is no reason to worry about kidney complications from cutting carbs. However, if you have kidney disease, you may need medical supervision. In addition, a moderate-to-high protein intake with more advanced kidney disease can accelerate the deterioration of kidney function. Restricting protein intake to 0.6–0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (about 40–50 grams per day) can slow the progression of kidney failure.
Some people worry that cutting fruit from their diet will result in a vitamin C deficiency, so they take supplements. However, consuming large amounts of vitamin C supplements may increase urine oxalate concentrations and promote the formation of calcium oxalate stones. It is better to get your vitamin C from low-carb sources like bell peppers, berries (except raspberries), broccoli, and low-oxalate leafy greens.
Carbohydrates are important for people on kidney diets. If you need 2,000 calories per day, 700–800 calories should come from carbohydrate foods, which equals 175–200 grams of carbohydrates. For people on peritoneal dialysis, the need for carbohydrates is less than for people on hemodialysis. In peritoneal dialysis, a dialysate containing dextrose, a form of sugar, is used to pull waste and fluid out of the blood.
Some carbohydrate foods contain fiber, which helps protect your heart, blood vessels, and colon. High-fiber diets can lower cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular conditions. Lowering cholesterol may also help patients stay off certain medications. Studies show that increased fiber in the diet can reduce blood pressure and inflammation.
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Nutritional Deficiency
Carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient, and it is generally not recommended that healthy adults cut them out completely. Carbohydrates provide most of the fuel for daily activity and functioning, so you will probably experience less energy if you stop eating them.
A no-carb diet may not provide enough vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin C, which are abundant in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods. The increased urination that results from restricting carbs may also lead to nutrient deficiencies such as sodium and potassium over time.
Low-carb diets are also low in fiber, which can lead to constipation and trapped gas in your digestive tract. Fiber helps add bulk to stool and absorb water in the colon, making stool easier to pass. It also promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.
Some population studies have linked low-carb diets to increased mortality. Other potential complications include kidney damage, osteoporosis, and impaired physical activity.
If you are considering a low-carb diet, it is important to consult a healthcare professional to ensure you are getting all the necessary nutrients and to determine if this eating pattern is safe and appropriate for you.
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Frequently asked questions
Cutting carbs from your diet may help with weight loss, better management of diabetes or prediabetes, and improved heart health.
Cutting carbs from your diet may lead to constipation, nutrient deficiencies, kidney damage, osteoporosis, impaired physical activity, and increased "bad" cholesterol. It may also cause ketosis, which can lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
Food and drinks allowed on a no-carb diet include meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, oils, water, and plain coffee or tea.
