Is a Low-Carb Diet Right for You?

QUESTION: What is a low-carbohydrate diet?

ANSWER: Foods get their calories from protein, fats and carbohydrates. Most of the calories you eat come from carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are starches and sugars, which are in foods like bread, pasta and sweets. Low-carbohydrate diets (or low-carb diets, for short) cut down on the amount of calories you get from sugars and starches.

People on low-carb diets eat less bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and cereal. They usually eat more vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, eggs and nuts.

QUESTION: Do these diets help people lose weight?

ANSWER: Whenever people eat fewer calories than their bodies use, they lose weight. People on a low-carb diet usually take in fewer calories, even though they are eating more protein and fats than usual. Low-carb diets have been shown to help people who are overweight lose weight. These diets may work better than low-fat diets when people first start dieting. After the first six months, though, low-carb diets do not work any better than other diets.

Next: Are low-carb diets safe? >