Carbohydrates or carbs are blamed for causing health problems in people, like obesity and weight gain. So many people tend to avoid them. But, to function in a proper way, the body needs an optimum amount of carbohydrates. Your body can signal you in many ways to indicate that it lacks carbohydrates. Here are seven signs of carbohydrate deficiency.
Constipation
Many healthy carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts contain fibre. Fibre helps to keep you full for longer and keeps digestive issues at bay. So when you are not eating enough plant-based carbs, you are lacking fibre in your diet, which can cause constipation.
Fatigue
The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy to your body. By the action of enzymes, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the energy source for your body. After glucose is produced, some of it is utilised immediately, and the rest is stored in the liver, muscles, and cells for future use. So, if you do not eat enough carbs, you will not have enough energy. As a result, you might feel weak, exhausted, tired, and fatigued.
Also Read: Expert Explains Why Refined Carbs & Sugar Are Bad For Health
Decreased Concentration
Since a lack of carbohydrates can make you energy deficient, you tend to feel fatigued. This impact is also visible on the brain, and you are not able to think and concentrate properly due to a drop in your energy levels.
Nutrient Deficiency
You can suffer from nutrient deficiency when you lack carbohydrates. Nutrient deficiency can make you prone to illnesses both in the short and long run. By not eating healthy carbs, you may miss out on vitamin C, which helps to boost the immune system; folate, which helps to keep the heart healthy; vitamin A, which keeps your eyes healthy.
Bad Breath
You might end up with bad breath when you are too low on carbs. The chemicals that are generated in the breath when the body burns fat are a common cause of bad breath. This is another sign that your body is undergoing ketosis, the fat-burning process.
Also Read: 5 High-Carb Food Options That Are Extremely Healthy
Nausea
Ketosis can occur when you reduce your carbohydrate intake drastically. It happens when the body doesn’t have enough glucose for energy. The body uses stored fat instead at this point. These partly-digested fats start the ketosis process, during which you can experience mental fatigue, headache, poor breath, and nausea. Apart from these issues, ketosis can also raise the amount of uric acid in the body. This increases your chance of developing kidney stones and joint swelling, which can be severe.
Headache
You may also feel pain in your head when your body lacks carbohydrates. People who are on a keto diet might have experienced this. This also happens when glucose is unavailable to make energy, and your body initiates ketosis.
Bottomline
While unhealthy carbohydrate options like refined, sugared, and processed ones can be avoided, you can include plant-based carbs in your diet as they will provide you with fibre, which is good for your gut.
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