When it comes to dietary patterns, in addition to the "appalling" high-sugar, high-fat, high-calorie diet, more and more people are starting to reject carbohydrates. The reason is also very simple, because many self-media articles are "exposing" the "crime" of the carbohydrate diet: excessive intake of "carbohydrate" will make people fat, and obesity is the initiator of chronic major diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
In recent decades, there have been studies that have indeed confirmed that low-carb diets have positive health effects, including helping participants lose weight in a short period of time, lower triglycerides, and increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), while others have emphasized that the above conclusions lack long-term human trials, but this extreme eating pattern is not suitable for long-term adherence. Therefore, it is necessary to interpret it carefully.
Still, low-carb, and even very low-carb ketogenic diets have become increasingly popular in the weight loss community and fitness populations, replacing regular diets with high-protein diets such as high-protein diets that consume large amounts of lean meats (including only chicken breasts and beef) and milkshakes every day. However, this practice may be costing you some terrible price.
In a new study published in Nutrition and Health, researchers from the University of Worcester in the United Kingdom found that a low-carb diet may have affected endocrine, lowering testosterone levels in male participants, leading to erectile dysfunction and reduced sperm count. In addition to this, cortisol stress hormone levels are increased. This means that following a low-carb diet may put you at risk for infertility and other health conditions.
In the new study, the researchers analyzed the results of 27 clinical trials (12 randomized, 15 non-randomized) that met the criteria. The trials involved a total of 309 healthy male participants with an average age of 27 years, who were divided into a low-carb diet group (low-carb water group) and a high-carb diet group (high-carbon water group). Both groups had a diet with a ≤ 35% carbohydrates. The low-carb water group had higher levels of fat, protein and cholesterol than the high-carb water group, while the fiber and sugar levels were lower. 95% of the participants underwent physical activity during the dietary intervention, and cortisol level measurements were all performed after aerobic exercise. Dietary interventions ranged from 2 days to 8 weeks.
Researchers have found that low-carb water diets in the short term (known to be high levels of cortisol can suppress the immune system, making people more susceptible to colds, or contracting viruses and bacteria. Fortunately, stress hormones gradually return to baseline levels in long-term studies.
The researchers also found that participants in the low-carbon water group had much lower testosterone levels compared to the high-carbon water group. This can be described as a heavy loss. It's important to know that low testosterone levels not only lead to erectile dysfunction and a decrease in sperm count, which can lead to lower fertility; it's also associated with chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
For further analysis, the researchers divided participants in the low-carb diet group into two subgroups, one for the appropriate amount of proteome (
The researchers found that participants in the high proteome had a 37 percent reduction in testosterone levels, which is medically known as hypogonadism.
Excessive intake of protein may also lead to protein poisoning, that is, the body converts too much protein into ammonia, and excessive intake of ammonia has neurotoxicity, which will lead to hyperammonemia in a short period of time, mild dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and heavy may also lead to deep coma. This condition is called "rabbit starvation".
"Rabbit hunger" is not literal, it does not mean that hunger is caused by not eating meat like rabbits; on the contrary, this rare symptom of acute malnutrition is caused by "eating only meat".
"Rabbit hunger" was first discovered by Arctic explorer Veer Carmel Stefanson among residents of northern Canada: local residents rarely eat other foods except rabbit meat, and the result is that they are already bloated but still hungry.
In addition, during the Roman siege of Campo, Spain, soldiers were forced to rely on rabbits to feed themselves, resulting in severe diarrhea and death for many.
Therefore, the risk of eating only meat is really not small.
In addition, the effect of losing weight on a low-carb diet may not have much advantage.
Recently, a review published in the Cochrane Systematic Review Database also found that the weight loss effects of long-term low-carb diets and other diets were not significantly different. Moreover, there is no evidence that a low-carb diet has any additional health benefits.
In addition, scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) are also studying how the ketone diet works at the molecular level and whether both men and women can achieve weight loss.
They found that the effects of the ketogenic diet on female mice seemed less effective because animals of different sexes metabolized fat in different ways and turned on and off different genes when fasting.
However, Frances Sladek, a professor of cell biology at UCR, warns: "Regardless of whether the ketogenic diet is effective or not, do not extremeize any diet structure." It's unclear whether all of the fat is metabolized on a ketogenic diet or intermittent fasting diet, or if a lot of fat still accumulates in the body. The standard Japanese diet contains 20 percent fat, the U.S. diet averages 35 percent, and the ketogenic diet can contain 70 to 80 percent fat, which is an unsustainable dietary pattern. ”
Therefore, no extreme diet can be applied to long-term eating patterns, and it cannot be suitable for everyone. In short, don't easily challenge your health.
Source: China Biotechnology Network
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