LOW FAT VS LOW CARB

Low fat diets are based on the premise that fats contribute more calories than carbohydrates or protein. There are four calories per gram for each protein and each carb, while fats have nine grams; thus eating too much of the fats is what causes weight gain. Low carb diets advocate a significant reduction of carbohydrates. The premise behind them is that increased carbohydrates raise blood insulin levels, and the increase insulin increases obesity. Popular low carb diets include; Atkins, South Beach Diet, and The Zone.

Advocates of these two diets have been at odds for a long time, each insisting their diet version works better at weight loss. Both have created a lot of controversy & confusion. We will compare the two & layout the pros & cons of each, & you can decide which wins this rivalry war.

COMPARE THE LOW FAT DIET & LOW CARB DIET
LOW FAT DIET	LOW CARB DIET
• Introduced by Engineer, Nathan Pritikin in the 1950's.	• Some critics say it was first introduced in 1864 by William Banting, while others say that Cardiologist, Dr. Robert Atkins was the first to introduce this diet in the 1972.
• Limits the amount of fat and calories in the diet. Avoid Trans Fats, & limit Saturated fats by 10% daily.	• Limits the amount of carbohydrates(bad carbs), but asks for increase in fats & protein in the diet.
• Diet breakdown: 46% of calories from carbohydrates, 30% of calories from fat, & 24% of calories from protein.	• Diet breakdown: 4% of calories from carbohydrates, 35% of calories from protein, and 61% of calories from fat.
• Helps control blood lipid levels and weight.	• Helps control weight.
• Evidence that it reverses Coronary Artery Disease.	• Used for Diabetes and Epilepsy diet treatment.
• Eat these fats; Omega-3, Monounsaturated & Polyunsaturated fats.	• Eat any fats but try to limit Trans fats.
PROS	PROS
• Long term Cardiovascular health.	• Helps in Diabetes & Epilepsy treatment.
• Better nutrition than low carb diets due to a balanced diet.	• Faster weight loss, on average, 9 to 13 more pounds than low fat diet.
• More food choices available.	• No Calorie counting.
• Maintain low blood sugar levels.	• Maintain low blood sugar levels.
• Lowers Cholesterol levels.	• Lowers Blood Pressure.
CONS	CONS
• Slow weight loss.	• Weight gain once diet is stopped.
• Deficiencies in essential fatty acids, some Vitamins & Minerals like Zinc due to too low fat intake.	• Insufficient nutrients, due to very low carbohydrate intake.
• Increased risk of Breast and Pancreatic Cancer.	• Increased chances of Heart disease due to high fat intake.
• A very low fat & high carbohydrate diet can increase Triglycerides in the blood & decrease good Cholesterol(HDL).	• High Cholesterol.
• A low fat diet can increase Sugar & refined grain intake, therefore gaining weight.	• Moodiness.
• To succeed on this diet you have to count calories.	• This is an expensive diet.
• It is a Fad diet.	• It is a Fad diet.

FATS AND CARBOHYDRATES

What are fats? Fats are also known as lipids and they are solid or liquid(oil) form. 

There are three types of fats:  

• The Saturated fat- the Bad fat that increases the blood cholesterol level,  

• The Polyunsaturated fat- decreases the blood cholesterol level.  

• Monounsaturated fat- decreases the the “bad cholesterol” or Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol. Examples of animal fats are butter, lard, ghee and fish oil. Examples of plant fats are olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, etc. There are 9 calories in one gram of fat.  

What are Carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are a source of energy and are either Simple or Complex. Foods like Bread, Potatoes, Rice, Sodas, Fruits and Sweets are all high in Carbs. 

 There are 4 calories in one gram of carbohydrate. To break it down even further, a Carbohydrate is an organic compound also known as a saccharide.

Carbohydrates are divided into four groups:  

• Monosaccharides- Simple carbohydrates. These are Sugars, e.g. Glucose and Fructose.  

• Disaccharides- Simple carbohydrates. These are Sugars made of 2 joined monosaccharides, e.g. Sucrose. 

• Polysaccharides- Complex carbohydrates. These are made of 10+ joined monosaccharides, e.g. Cellulose, Starch and Glycogen. They act as Cellulose structures in plants and store energy in the form of Starch and Glycogen.  

• Oligosaccharides- Complex carbohydrates. These are made of 3 to 10 joined monosaccharides, e.g. raffinose.