Contents:
- Medical Video: 'Slow Carbs' and the Truth About Low-Carb Diets
- Relationship to low carbohydrate diet and intestinal health
- Lack of carbohydrates increases the risk of colon cancer
- Carbohydrates increase important chemical compounds in the intestine
- A low carbohydrate diet is okay, but ...
Medical Video: 'Slow Carbs' and the Truth About Low-Carb Diets
A low carbohydrate diet is a diet that is currently being followed. Because, this diet is known to have many benefits, one of which is losing weight. On the other hand, a study shows the impact of a low carbohydrate diet that is detrimental to intestinal health if done too extreme. So, you must be wise when running this diet.
Relationship to low carbohydrate diet and intestinal health
Low-carbohydrate diets do have many benefits, but too low carbohydrates also harm the body according to research conducted by a lecturer, Richard Agans from Wright State University Dayton in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology in 2018.
Richard Agans and his team aimed to see what happens to the condition of the intestine when a person changes his diet from a balanced diet, to a low-carbohydrate diet.
In this study Agans made a replica of human intestines using various tools with the latest technology to carry out their research, as well as using faeces from donors to carry out this research.
The study by Agans and the team found that when someone on a balanced diet switches to a high-fat and carbohydrate diet, the number of bacteria in their intestines decreases.
The reduced amount of bacteria needed by the intestine will gradually reduce the production of short chain fatty acids and antioxidants in the intestine. In fact, these two compounds are very necessary to maintain intestinal health.
Lack of carbohydrates increases the risk of colon cancer
Short chain fatty acids and antioxidants in the intestine are very important chemical compounds to fight DNA damage and aging due to free radicals in intestinal cells. When these two compounds are reduced, the chances of inflammation and the risk of colon cancer will increase.
So, according to researchers, the impact of an extreme low-carbohydrate diet is actually dangerous, not healthy.
Too little carbohydrate will reduce the production of short-chain fatty acids and antioxidants in the intestine which are quite dangerous in the future.
Even so, this research still needs to be reevaluated. Because, not yet known with certainty from this study how much should the ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats safe to maintain intestinal health.
Carbohydrates increase important chemical compounds in the intestine
If someone consumes enough carbohydrates, you not only get energy but your intestines are also healthier.
When carbohydrates enter the intestine, intestinal bacteria will metabolize carbohydrates directly and release short chain fatty acids. Likewise with antioxidants.
However, when there are very few carbohydrates, there is nothing that stimulates the intestinal bacteria to release important chemical compounds for the intestine.
A low carbohydrate diet is okay, but ...
Sometimes people just forget or are too eager to follow a dietary trend to cut down on their carbohydrate food sources, without thinking about the impact of an extreme low-carb diet. In fact, carbohydrates still have a function that is not less important than fat and protein.
Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the body. In one gram of carbohydrates produce as much as 4 calories of energy. Energy from carbohydrates can be used directly or can become energy savings if later needed. The central nervous system and brain also naturally depend on energy from carbohydrates.
In addition, carbohydrates also help maintain the amount of protein or muscle mass in the body. When the amount of carbohydrates in the body is insufficient, the body automatically takes protein as a source of energy so that it can reduce body muscle mass.
Carbohydrates also function to control body weight. Especially complex carbohydrates that will provide this benefit. So, you should not carelessly diet because the effect can actually be dangerous for you.
