Low Carbohydrate DietsWhat is a carbohydrate?A carbohydrate is a member of a large class of natural organic substances. Carbohydrates are present in almost everything we eat, sometimes in very small quantities but often in substantial quantities. Some examples of common carbohydrates are sugars, starch, and cellulose. Carbohydrates are important because they provide a reserve of energy in our body that is quickly accessible. Indeed, carbohydrates constitute the main source of dietary energy for people around the world (Stephen 1995). Additionally, carbohydrate intake increases the levels of a substance called tryptophan in the body, which releases serotonin in the brain. It is not yet clear whether this phenomenon affects our hunger and eating habits (Fairburn 1993). Carbohydrates are present in almost everything we eat, such as sugars, starches and cellulose. What You'll Find on the Web About Low-Carb Diets... Almost all of the information you'll find on the World Wide Web on the topic of low-carb diets is essentially the same. There are thousands of documents, so instead of reading them individually just look at this brief summary of the information available. Below the web summary is a literature summary of the information contained in professional and scientific journals published on the topic of low-carbohydrate diets. What is a low carb diet? What is the purpose of a low-carb diet? Low carbohydrate diets are essentially very simple. The idea is that by limiting your daily carbohydrate intake, your carb cravings will eventually decrease, resulting in less food consumption and weight loss. Low-carbohydrate diets are meant to be used as general weight loss plans, especially for people who have a...... middle of paper ......, 1995.Peterson, CM and L Jovanic-Peterson. “Randomized crossover study of 40% versus 55% carbohydrate weight loss strategies in women” Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 14(4):369-75, August 1995. Racette, S., et al. “Effects of aerobic exercise and dietary carbohydrate on energy expenditure and body composition during weight reduction in obese women.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 61(3):486-94, March 1995. Stephen, A. M., G. Seiber, Y. Gerster, and D. Morgan. “Carbohydrate and carbohydrate component intake: international comparisons, trends over time, and effects of switching to low-fat diets.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 62(4):851S-867S, October 1995. Wing, R. R., J. Vazquez, and C. Ryan. "Cognitive effects of ketogenic weight loss diets" International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders. 19(11):811-6, Nov 1995.