Over the years there has bee a slew of low carb type diets have continued to flourish in the weight loss industry. The old “Atkins Diet” or the “South Beach Diet” has many new names, but the general trend is away from the USDA daily carb recommendations. Additionally, diets that recommended restricting calories and fat have been shown to be flawed and the results of these incorrect theories contributed to the obesity crisis in western countries. Science has shown your health improves all around when you cut the carbs and excess sugars.

The USDA recommends adults consume 45% to 65% of their daily calories from carbohydrates. Evidence suggests these recommendations may be higher than optimal for general health and notes the potential benefits of a lower carbohydrate system. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans don’t provide a specific recommendation per body weight, but we can make some general calculations using the formula that 1 gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories.

For simplicity, let’s assume a moderate activity level for all individuals:

1. 150 lb (68 kg) individual: Estimated daily calorie need ≈ 2,200 calories
2. 175 lb (79 kg) individual: Estimated daily calorie need ≈ 2,400 calories
3. 220 lb (100 kg) individual: Estimated daily calorie need ≈ 2,800 calories
4. 260 lb (118 kg) individual: Estimated daily calorie need ≈ 3,200 calories

Now, let’s calculate the carb recommendations in grams for both the lower end (45%) and the higher end (65%) of the USDA carbohydrate intake guidelines.

USDA Outdated Carb Recommendations:

• For a 150 lb individual:
  • At 45% of daily calories: 2200×0.452200×0.45 / 4 = 247.5 grams
  • At 65% of daily calories: 2200×0.652200×0.65 / 4 = 357.5 grams
• For a 175 lb individual:
  • At 45% of daily calories: 2400×0.452400×0.45 / 4 = 270 grams
  • At 65% of daily calories: 2400×0.652400×0.65 / 4 = 390 grams
• For a 220 lb individual:
  • At 45% of daily calories: 2800×0.452800×0.45 / 4 = 315 grams
  • At 65% of daily calories: 2800×0.652800×0.65 / 4 = 455 grams
• For a 260 lb individual:
  • At 45% of daily calories: 3200×0.453200×0.45 / 4 = 360 grams
  • At 65% of daily calories: 3200×0.653200×0.65 / 4 = 520 grams

So basically, the government thinks you need 9 cups of mashed potatoes or 12 cups of spaghetti to survive a day!! 56 Oreo cookies. Seriously. Are they trying to kill us? It took 25 years of low fat diets, artificial sweeteners that crashed our metabolisms, and starvation low calorie diets to basically learn the opposite of all that is true.

Fortunately, the WHO (although I’m not a crazy fan nowadays, eye roll) did catch the mistake and lowered the percentages from the crazy 45-65% range down to the appropriate 5-10% range or somewhere in the range of 20-50g per day. The CDC even came to its senses and recommends under 25g of carbs per day for optimal health. But this has yet to be reflected to the general public. Carbs and sugars are fillers. Fillers turn to fat. Whole foods don’t have fillers. This is often why holistic types recommend shopping the outside of the grocery store to prevent getting processed, packaged, belly filling, fat inducing carbs, sugar, bread, pasta, cookies, crackers. . .you know. All the stuff we’ve been brainwashed to love while ignoring our body’s negative responses telling us to stop!

Low Carb vs. Low Calorie and Low Fat

The Low Carb diet trend has now eclipsed and replace most low calorie and low fat diets in the past. Low CALORIE diets lead to lost muscle, loss of strength, lower energy levels and a sluggish metabolism. How does that help your health? It doesn’t. It compounds the underlying problem. Especially when you replace protein and fat calories you need with junk health food like soy and artificial proteins. Low FAT diets cause dysfunction in brain health leading to an increase in mental health issues like depression and obesity, while harming hormonal function to cause PMS and infertility. The Healthy Fatters won the scientific debate. However, in all things there has to be moderation. Any decrease or increase in a food or macro type must be introduced or taken away gradually.

Summary of Benefits for Reduced Carbohydrate Diets

Moving toward a low carb diet program can help the following health areas:

1. Enhanced Weight Management

Evidence suggests that low-carbohydrate diets can facilitate more significant weight reduction compared to low-fat alternatives, particularly in short-term interventions (Bazzano et al., 2014; Shai et al., 2008). The underlying mechanism posited is a reduction in insulin levels, prompting enhanced fat metabolism and subsequent weight loss.

2. Improved Glycemic Control

Low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to offer superior glycemic control, particularly for individuals with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance (Saslow et al., 2014). By minimizing insulin spikes, low-carb diets can help stabilize blood sugar levels, offering a strategic advantage in diabetes management and prevention.

3. Cardiovascular Health Benefits

While traditional wisdom has often linked fat intake with cardiovascular risk, but evidence now suggests that a reduction in carbohydrate intake, particularly refined carbohydrates, may offer better cardiovascular benefits. Studies indicate improvements in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, reductions in blood pressure, and decreased triglyceride levels in individuals following a low-carbohydrate diet (Volek et al., 2009).

4. Metabolic Syndrome and Chronic Disease

Adopting a low-carbohydrate diet may also play a crucial role in addressing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Research highlights improvements in abdominal obesity, serum triglycerides, and other metabolic syndrome components under reduced carbohydrate intake (Santos et al., 2012).

In Summary: Low Carb Diet Benefits:

• Weight Loss: Lower carb intake helps burn fat more effectively.
• Blood Sugar Control: Great for managing or preventing diabetes.
• Heart Health: Can improve cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure.
• Less Cravings: People often feel less hungry on low-carb diets.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL CARB INTAKE?

Given the goodness low-carb diets can bring, what’s the ideal daily carb intake? Studies and expert opinions suggest a range that might work well depending on body type, BMI and weight loss goal. First step would be to reduce foods that have “Added Sugar” which is now designated on most food labels. These foods are processed and have excess sugar added in. Cut those back first. Replace with healthier fruits, dark chocolate and KETO friendly desserts instead. Next, aim for reduced overall carbs and switching gradually to low glycemic carbs for improved health outcomes.

• For Weight Loss and Health Improvement: Cycling between 20-50g to 50-100g per day (depending on your individual constitution and the lunar calendar) can offer noticeable benefits without causing negative reactions.
• For More Aggressive Weight Loss or Metabolic Issues: Extreme diets, like KETO recommends less than 40 grams per day which can kick things into higher gear, pushing the body into ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel. However, extreme low carb diets may require additional supplementation to prevent energy crashes causing you to lose hair and/or muscle strength. I usually recommend a month of KETO preparation before diving directly into it. Especially if you are not planning on adopting the diet long term. Carb cycling may be a safer and less extreme version of help. This applies to KETO fertility cycles as well.

Strategic Implications

The prevailing evidence suggests a reevaluation of the USDA’s carbohydrate intake recommendations may be warranted. For individuals getting control of their health, or for organizations prioritizing employee health, advocating for low-carb approaches could enhance health outcomes, reduce chronic disease risk, and improve overall productivity.

Conclusion

Evidence shows that low carb approaches create better health outcomes and prevent you from developing common preventable diseases like high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, heart disease, & type 2 diabetes. The USDA daily recommendations are no where near healthy, and need to be slashed much lower in order to avoid a sick, prescription dependent populace with a lowered life expectancy and poor quality of life. Efforts toward improved health needs to be on counting carbohydrates, not calories.

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References:*

• Bazzano, L. A., et al. (2014). Effects of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine.
• Shai, I., et al. (2008). Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or low-fat diet. New England Journal of Medicine.
• Saslow, L. R., et al. (2014). A randomized pilot trial of a moderate carbohydrate diet compared to a very low carbohydrate diet in overweight or obese individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus or prediabetes. PLOS ONE.
• Volek, J. S., et al. (2009). Carbohydrate restriction has a more favorable impact on the metabolic syndrome than a low fat diet. Lipids.
• Santos, F. L., et al. (2012). Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials of the effects of low carbohydrate diets on cardiovascular risk factors. Obesity Reviews.

*AI research and administrative assist