Have you thought about trying a low-carb diet, but you’re not sure what all the hoopla is about? Recent studies seem to indicate that low-carb diets, such as the Atkins diet, may give some people an edge in losing weight, according to the Mayo Clinic. If this is true, can a low-carb diet help you lose weight safely and actually help you keep it off permanently?

Donald D. Hensrud, M.D., a preventive medicine and nutrition specialist at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., says the theory behind low-carb diets is that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels, which then kicks in insulin, which drivers blood sugar into the cells and prevents fat breakdown in the body, so you won’t burn excess fat and lose weight.

Hensrud says proponents of low-carb diets take this one step further, saying that if carbs raise blood sugar and insulin levels and cause weight gain, a decrease in carbs will result in lower blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to weight loss. Because you’re not eating the carbs, your body breaks down fat to provide needed energy. He says some people do lose weight on low-carb diets, but the weight loss probably isn’t related to blood sugar and insulin levels to any extent.

Low carb diets help people lose weight, Hensrud says, because of four factors:

1. Loss of water weight. When you initially decrease your carbohydrate intake, your body burns glycogen. Glycogen contains large amounts of water, so burning glycogen leads to the release of water and increased urination, causing weight loss, Hensrud says.
2. Decreased appetite. Hensrud says burning fat without carbs creates byproducts called ketones that build up in your bloodstream. When this happens, you may not feel as hungry.
3. Increased feeling of fullness. Low-carb diets are usually higher in fat. And fat takes longer to digest, which makes you feel fuller longer.
4. Reduced calories. Most low-carb diets reduce your overall calorie intake because they strictly limit the variety of foods you can eat. Carbohydrates, including bread, pasta, rice, cereals, milk, most fruit and any sweets, usually provide over half of people’s daily calories. On a low-carb diet, however, carbohydrates are limited or avoided, thus leading to a significant reduction in calorie intake, Hensrud says.

Hensrud says there is nothing special about certain foods of combinations of foods, and that a calorie is a calorie no matter how it’s consumed. He says there is no benefit from combining certain types of proteins with certain carbs in your diet.

Hensrud states that no one knows the long-term health effects associated with low-carb diets. He says while some studies have looked at the benefits and risks, none has been conducted over a long enough period of time to show whether these diets increase the risk of health conditions that develop over many years, such as heart disease, cancer, and kidney or bone problems.

Hensrud recommends staying on the program indefinitely to maintain any weight loss you may experience on a low-carb diet, which, he says, doesn’t appear to be easier to maintain than any other diet.  Unfortunately, studies comparing low-carb diets and low-fat diets found that after a year, people dropped out of both diets at similar rates, Hensrud says.

If you feel a low-carb diet may be the answer you’ve been looking for, Hensrud strongly recommends looking at the health effects of certain foods and making wise food choices when starting this type of diet. He says many carbs, such as whole grains and fruits, are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that form the foundation of a healthy diet. Hensrud stresses that variety and portion control are keys to a healthy diet, and that excluding or severely limiting one food group, such as carbohydrates or fat, isn’t a proven answer to long-term health.