Research

Macro partitioning

A high carbohydrate-to-fat intake ratio (specifically high carbohydrate and low fat intake) is associated with lower long-term HDL-cholesterol levels and a significantly increased risk of incident hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia.

If you eat a diet very high in carbohydrates and very low in fat (like a traditional Korean diet heavy in white rice), your HDL 'good' cholesterol levels tend to be lower over time, and your risk of developing low HDL increases. To support healthy HDL levels, ensure your carbohydrate intake is balanced with adequate fat intake, rather than maximizing carbs while minimizing fat.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The highest carbohydrate-to-fat ratio quartile, which was characterized by high and low intake of carbohydrate and fat, was consistently associated with a lower HDL-c level during the 12-year follow up. Moreover, those in the highest quartile had a 1.14-fold greater risk of incident hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia than those in the lowest quartile, with a significant dose-response relationship.
Hye Ah Lee et al. · Scientific Reports · 2020

Why this rating

Large sample size (n=6,627), long follow-up (12 years), and adjustment for multiple covariates, but it is an observational cohort study, not an RCT.

Source

The Effect of High Carbohydrate-to-fat Intake Ratios on Hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia Risk and HDL-cholesterol Levels over a 12-year Follow-up

Hye Ah Lee et al. · Scientific Reports · 2020

cohort · n=6627Cited 18×
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