Rationale behind the usage of low carbohydrate diets
Controversy of the term low carbohydrate diet
The term low-carbohydrate diets or low –carb diets tends to have negative connotations and the reason for this is that there is a tendency among the wider public to consider such diets solely in the context and with reference to eating plans such as the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet; which themselves have proven to be a fairly contentious and controversial subjects within the nutritional and dietary expert world.
Low-carbohydrate diets were subject to such intense and fierce criticism due to the fact that they seemed to be predominately supported by virtue of anecdotal evidence as opposed to objective, scientifically verifiable and quantifiable evidence.
Innovations in research have actually uncovered more tangible, credible and solid evidence as to the relative efficacy of such diets. Specifically; the main issue at stake has been the identification of a causal relationship between the ingestion and therefore subsequent concentration of carbohydrate molecules within the body and the resulting impact their presence has on blood sugar levels.
Scientific research to support the usage of low carbohydrate diets
Whenever is consumed and passes to the gastrointestinal system; two hormones are secreted in the pancreatic gland in order to stabilise and regulate the current levels of blood sugar (also known as blood glucose) that have arisen as a consequence of the food being consumed. This form of metabolic homeostasis is essential to the overall health and survival of the person as a whole; because fluctuations in the level of blood glucose levels can result in either:
Hypoglycaemia: the state where there is insufficient levels of glucose present within the body. One of the potential complications from this condition is death.
Hyperglycaemia: is the state whereby excessive concentrations of glucose is present within the body; and there is a causal relationship between long term hyperglycaemia and the development of diabetes mellitus.
Low carbohydrates diets and their effect on the base metabolism rate
The two hormones released to ensure optimal metabolic homeostasis are insulin; used to reduce blood glucose levels and glucagon; which serves to increase the concentration of glucose in the body.
Due to the composition and calorific density of the processed food items and stuffs readily available for consumption within Western society this means that whenever a typical meal is consumed; the body will receive an excess of the carbohydrates which are essential as energy source.
Because of this; this means that there is almost a guarantee that the beta cells of the pancreas will produce insulin as opposed to glucagon.
One of the main reasons that low carbohydrate diets are proposed as a potential solution to weight control is due to the fact that artificial manipulation of the insulin secretion process provides the dieter with, by virtue of extension, control over ketosis.
Ketosis is a desirable outcome for the low carbohydrate dieter and the reason for this is due to the fact that the limited supplies of cellular glycogen means that the triacylglycerol molecules are broken down by virtue of the physiological process of lipolysis.
As a consequence, adipose tissue (fat deposits currently stored around the cells of the body) is then broken down to provide the requisite raw materials as well as fuel source to fuel the various metabolic functions.
Therefore, at the risk of grossly oversimplifying the strategic functionality of the typical low carbohydrates diet, the reduction in the daily consumption of the nutritive carbohydrates will cause a significant decline in the secretion of the insulin hormone. As a consequence, ketosis will become more prolonged and more efficient; effectively cannibalising the existing adipose tissue.
Medical usage of the low carbohydrate diet
Low carbohydrate diet in the treatment of paediatric epilepsy
The ketogenic diet has been operative since the 1920’s and has been commonly relied upon by physicians in an attempt to help better treat, regulate and control the intensity as well as frequency of epileptic episodes and related symptoms suffered by children.
In essence, the ketogenic diet remains a controversial subject even within medical literature by virtue of the fact that it takes the drastic step of mimicking the starvation process and the physiological impact it has on the body.
As the name would perhaps suggest, the ketogenic diet relies heavily upon the involvement of the process of ketosis; although it is imperative to appreciate that the usage of ketosis in the treatment of paedaetric epilepsy episodes is intended to achieve weight loss per se.
Rather, the logic behind the usage of the low carbohydrate diet is that the significant increase in the production of ketone bodies which itself, is caused by the adipose tissue being broken by the liver into glucose which is then conveyed to the brain.
As a direct consequence of this sharp increase in the concentration and volume of ketone bodies in the body this means that the state of ketosis is achieved; ultimately reducing the frequency of which the seizures associated with the condition occur.
Factors inhibiting the efficacy of the Low carbohydrate diet in the treatment of paediatric epilepsy
Clinical evidence suggests that children who are currently taking the drug Phenobarbital, itself an anti-convalescent drug will experience only limited success with the ketogenic diet and so the limited payload versus the complications that may arise from the ketogenic diet may require another form of treatment.
The disease porphyria (irrespective of the classification it may come under) is also deemed to be an absolute contraindication for the usage of the ketogenic diet; due to the adverse and detrimental impact that the condition has upon the base metabolism rate of the body.
Potential side effects experienced by epileptic children on the low carbohydrate diet
Hypercalcuria, a pathology whereby there happens to be excessive deposits of calcium present and detectable in the urine is one of the more severe health risks associated with a reliance upon the ketogenic diet; and hypercalcuria is itself typically associated with absolute renal failure of the victim.