Carbohydrates — Good or Bad for You?

Over the years, carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation. Diets such as Atkins and South Beach promote easy, rapid weight loss that can be very attractive to someone trying to lose weight.

By restricting the amounts of carbohydrate that you eat, these diets claim that you can turn your body into a fat-burning machine. When you limit carbohydrates, however, you deprive your body of a main source of fuel — and many essential nutrients that you need to stay healthy.