Macro partitioning
Under energy-matched conditions, low-carbohydrate diets (≤44% TDCI) produce greater reductions in fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol compared to high-carbohydrate diets (≥45% TDCI).
If you want to improve your fasting blood glucose and insulin levels without changing your total calorie intake, try reducing your carbohydrate intake to below 44% of your total daily calories. This shift, while keeping total energy the same, has been shown to significantly improve these metabolic markers compared to eating more carbohydrates.
LC diets produced greater reductions in FBG (g = − 0.364; 95% CI − 0.709 to − 0.019; P < 0.001) and FINS (g = − 0.190; 95% CI − 0.361 to − 0.014; P = 0.034) compared with HC. TAG decreased (g = − 0.379; 95% CI − 0.540 to − 0.219; P < 0.001), and HDL-C increased (g = 0.389; 95% CI 0.229 to 0.550, P < 0.001) under LC diets.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 RCTs with 905 participants, showing statistically significant pooled effect sizes.
Source
Effects of energy-matched low- versus high-carbohydrate diets on glycaemic control, lipid profile, and body composition in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Alexandros Anagnostou et al. · European Journal of Nutrition · 2026
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