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What are the effects of not eating enough carbohydrates?

In: Diet and Weight Loss, Carbohydrates and Low-Carb Diets

Answer:

There are no negative effects, diseases, or deficiencies, caused by not eating enough carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not a required nutrient, you CAN live without them.

There are no side effects besides fat loss. For the first week without carbs you can have withdrawal symptoms so you may feel fatigued, but after that you will be fine.

Unlike protein and fat, there is no minimum daily requirement for carbohydrate. In other words you will die if you do not have protein and fats. However, you can flourish physically and be perfectly health without carbohydrates. Unlike protein and fats, carbohydrates are not essential for health or life.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson proved in a study done at New York City Hospital that you do not need any carbohydrates in your diet and that the long term consequences are ideal body weight is obtained and maintained and intestinal gas is eliminated.

Eating less carbohydrates will also enable you to reduce weight. Less carbohydrate will help to prevent diabetes and heart disease, you will have a lean body. Your body will have less carbohydrates for energy, so it will rely on excess fat. In other words, you will lose weight! You body has the capability of converting proteins and lipids to make it's own source of sugar.

There's no such thing as too little carbohydrates. Inuit Eskimos got along perfectly well without carbohydrates and you could too if needed. You do, however, need protein and fat. Eat lots of vegetables and drink plenty of water. Fat is good for you as it will keep you satiated and therefore prevent overeating.

Eat plenty of protein, whether that is from poultry, beef, or fish. Low carb eating can be a healthy and effective way of losing weight, or maintaining a healthy weight. Often, those who say otherwise are basing their opinions off of old science, or even worse, generalizations.

I would encourage you to read further into the low carb lifestyle if you are interested. I personally got a lot of valuable information from a book by Jeff Volek, he recommends something called "carb cycling." Enjoy your life changing experience.

Nothing harmful will happen. You may experience withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue/lack of energy and cravings for a week or so. After that, you will be fine. Unlike protein and fats, there is no minimum daily requirement of carbohydrate in order to flourish physically. However, certain carbohydrates, such as vegetables, have beneficial phytochemicals and fiber so eating some is fine. For weight loss the best sources are fresh non-starchy vegetables and low carbohydrate fruits such as berries. On the other hand, eating refined processed carbohydrates can be a problem and it is wise to strictly limit them, apart from the occasional treat. They are a major cause of weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, and many other diet related diseases. For a list of refined processed carbohydrates, and for more information about low carbohydrate foods and how to use them, see the page links, further down this page, listed under Sources and Related Links.

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First answer by Johnellishartford. Last edit by Keats. Contributor trust: 4424 [recommend contributor ]. Question popularity: 99 [recommend question].

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