Eating carbs -- including pasta -- won't kill you, and actually may be a healthy addition to your diet. iStockphoto.com / bravobravo

The advent of popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets quickly turned carb-rich foods into culinary pariahs. But more and more studies now show that shunning carbohydrates can be detrimental in several ways.

Many low-carb diets recommend nixing bread, pasta and other delicacies in favor of meat, eggs, cheese and other foods that are high in protein. Although protein is a necessary component of any healthy diet, this extra fat and cholesterol can quickly turn into a person into a ticking heart-disease time bomb. Carbohydrates also prevent kidney stones and a metabolic condition called ketosis when consumed in levels higher than 130 grams per day. Eating less than that causes ketones, which are fats that have only been partly broken down, to build up in the blood, leaving a person primed and ready for these largely preventable and painful problems [source: Weight-control Information Network]. Cutting out high-carb fruits and vegetables also sets the stage for constipation because they contain necessary dietary fiber.



Many nutrition experts now urge dieters to adopt healthy diet and exercise habits, rather than going the crash-diet route. Carbohydrates in moderation, particularly brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, provide many nutritional benefits, keep you feeling full longer and are more easily digested than highly processed carbs [source: NHS]. Do resist the urge to consume an entire plate of pasta and all of the extra calories that you don't really need. Instead, try eating around two or three ounces of the whole wheat variety and serve it alongside veggies and other essential foods.