Low-Carbohydrate diets are based on the premise that a diet that is very low in carbohydrates will lead to a reduction in the body's insulin production, resulting in stored fat and protein (muscle), then being used as the body’s primary energy source, rather its normal “burning” of carbohydrates.

The primary aim of low carbohydrate diets is to force the body to use, first, fat as its main energy source and then protein. When this happens, a person produces “ketone bodies” to fuel parts of the body that cannot use fat as an energy source - the brain, and red blood cells, in particular. At this point, a person is said to be in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a condition typically characterized by an offensive breath odor (actually, an acetone smell like nail polish), accompanied by such side effects as nausea and fatigue.

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