4 Medical Conditions You Can Regulate With a Low-Carb Diet
Nutrition and health are correlated. A proper diet can help improve our physiological and psychological well-being while reducing the risks of lifestyle-related and even genetic disorders.
One of these dietary plans includes a low-carb diet. Here are four medical conditions you can regulate by limiting carbs.
1. Heart Conditions
The human body converts carbohydrates into simpler sugars like glucose, which it primarily uses to provide energy for the body's cells. However, if there is more sugar than the cells need for energy, the body converts the excess sugar into fat. This excessive fat buildup can cause metabolic syndrome, a preliminary to severe heart conditions like coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and cardiomyopathy.
The body accumulates two types of fat molecules in your bloodstream when it cannot manage excess sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are fat molecules found in the blood made primarily from glycerol. The body converts excess calories into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells. These fat cells can accumulate in blood arteries and restrict their width, making the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Therefore, high triglyceride levels can increase the risk of higher blood pressure.
A low-carb diet will help reduce the amount of glucose converted into triglycerides in your body.
Cholesterol
The human body metabolizes two general types of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Medical practitioners consider LDL cholesterol "bad" because it contributes to atherosclerosis or plaque buildup in your arteries. Clogged arteries can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Low-carb diets help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by limiting the conversion of carbohydrates into LDL cholesterol, avoiding high blood pressure.
2. Diabetes
High carbohydrate diets also increase insulin production in the body. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which it releases into the bloodstream in response to rising blood sugar levels. Insulin helps move sugar from the bloodstream into the cells.
When people eat a high carbohydrate diet, their blood sugar levels increase because their bodies release more glucose into the blood. Over time, unregulated sugar levels can lead to insulin resistance when the body does not correctly respond to insulin and cannot effectively use glucose for energy. This imbalance can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes. A low-carb plan will reduce sugar levels in the body, reducing this risk.
3. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease
The two main ways foods can increase the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are by increasing inflammation and reducing the levels of essential antioxidants in the body. Both of these effects can lead to an increased risk of oxidative stress, a significant contributing factor to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
A low carbohydrate diet can regulate Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases by reducing the levels of inflammation in the body. Carbohydrates are a significant source of fuel for the inflammatory process. By reducing the intake of carbohydrates, the body can reduce the level of inflammation, which can then lead to a reduction in the risk of oxidative stress and, thus, symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
4. Better Epilepsy Control
A low carbohydrate diet can reduce or regulate epilepsy by reducing the amount of glucose in the blood. When the body does not have enough glucose, it breaks down protein and fat for energy. This process can lead to a buildup of ketones in the blood, which the body can break down to reduce epileptic episodes for patients resistant to pharmaceutical therapies.
A low-carb diet is a valuable nutritional framework to improve your health, especially if you have pre-existing diabetes or heart conditions. Contact us at Nush Foods if you would like to supplement your low-carb diet with appropriate snacks and treats.