What is 'low-carb'?

By Dave Ferman
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


Low-carb foods are all the rage these days, but what exactly does that mean?

It's more complicated than you might think.

Carbohydrates are one of the body's three macro-nutrients, along with protein and fat, said Lyn Dart, a professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University. Carbs provide energy and are one of the main foundations for body structure.

High amounts of carbs are found in foods with a lot of starch, such as grains, potatoes and fruit, Dart said. When consumed, carbs break down into glucose.

"Glucose is the number one fuel the body burns," said Dart. "And if a body doesn't have carbs, it has to go to fat for energy." And fat being burned, of course, leads to weight loss."

Dart recommends five to 10 grams of carbs per meal, or 25 to 30 grams per day. Anything above 35 to 50 grams per day would generally be considered a high-carb diet.

"What I recommend for someone trying a low-carb diet," said Dart, "is that they work with someone who can help design the diet and keep track of their health while they're on it and assess the diet after one month, two months, three months."

Unfortunately, there is no official standard for what makes a product "low-carb."

"The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not have a definition," said Mrs Baird's spokesman Shane Sumrow. "Companies are saying, 'Our bread is lower in carbs or has fewer carbs than an average piece of bread.' That's how they get around it."

Restaurants have various ways of designating menu items as low-carb. At Sushi Sam in Southlake, for example, broccoli subs for rice in the low-carb lunch box, and sushi rolls do away with the rice in favor of wheat noodles or lettuce.

And various restaurants satisfy low-carb lovers by simply leaving out the bread or tortillas on anything from barbecue to fajitas.

Originally printed in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Sunday, January 25, 2004

Interesting topic. I think he's a bit too low with the 25-35 grams daily limit, almost like induction level.

Dr. Lutz, in his years of practice arrived at 72 grams daily, as explained in his book "Life Without Bread".

Dr. Atkins defines it as a personal limit, testable through finding a level that you maintain your weight at.

Some can go up to a 100 grams a day, and still lose and show ketones. It may depend on size and lean body mass, and/or activity level.

What other definitions are out there? I think we've asked that a lot here, but never nailed it down.

Wa'il

I think you've already hit on it: low carb is the level that works for you.
High carb might be defined as "more than your body can handle."
I would consider a low carb entre at 10 grams or less.

I agree that 25-35g is a bit low. I think I'm not far from that, but I'm still losing, and doing so rather slowly, so it's not time for me to increase my numbers just yet.

B, on the other hand, can take in more carbs than I can and still lose. He's lost over 60 pounds in the same time I've lost 19.

I really do like this idea:


It's always a wise choice to work with a doctor. I've let my doctor know I'm working on losing weight with a low-carb diet. He hasn't had much to say about it, which is better than all diatribe, I suppose.

I love LCing with B. He's made everything so much easier. I remember when I mentioned wanting to try LC, he willingly volunteered to join me. Having someone who is not only supportive but even doing the same plan helps tremendously.

I'm extremely interested to learn about other plans, especially since I know so many people here have melded some of those plans together to form their own.

I'm surprised how many carbs I can eat and still be in Ketosis. I can't quite tell you what the total is, but a typical day for me includes a ton of veggies. Some low carb bread, maybe a sugar free chocolate, some low carb ice cream, nuts, maybe even a piece of fruit like an apple or some frozen berries. And I'm still in light ketosis.