Macro partitioning
High-carbohydrate diets (≥45% TDCI) are superior to low-carbohydrate diets for reducing LDL cholesterol in healthy adults under energy-matched conditions.
If your primary concern is lowering LDL cholesterol, and you are willing to eat more carbohydrates (at least 45% of your calories), this may be more effective than a low-carb diet, provided you keep your total calorie intake the same.
HC diets led to a greater reduction in LDL-C (g = − 0.225; 95% CI − 0.406 to − 0.043; P = 0.009).
Why this rating
Based on a meta-analysis of 14 studies with 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
DOI 10.1007/s00394-025-03862-z
More from this paper
- 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).Good
- Under energy-matched conditions, low-carbohydrate diets (≤44% TDCI) lead to greater reductions in body mass and fat mass compared to high-carbohydrate diets (≥45% TDCI).Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →