Very-law-carbohydrate diets

Abstract

Recently, much interest has surfaced on the value of very low daily carbohydrate diets. Therefore, the primary purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of this topic while examining relevant scientific research concerning the metabolic responses to very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets (VLCKDs). Our focus is on studies that have limited carbohydrate ingestion to <50g of carbohydrates per day. From a clinical point of view, a discussion of the effects of VLCKDs on body-weight regulation, lipoprotein metabolism, and cardiovascular disease risk factors is presented. The issue of participating in physical activity and exercise performance while on a VLCKD is also discussed. Additional studies are warranted to further validate the physiologic effects of VLCKDs over longer periods of time including studies that look at modifying the quality of macronutrients and the interaction with other interventions such as exercise, dietary supplements, and drugs. © 2008 Humana Press.