Macro partitioning
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).
If your goal is to lose fat, reducing your carbohydrate intake to below 44% of your total daily calories may be more effective than eating more carbohydrates, even if you keep your total calorie intake the same.
LC diets also reduced body mass (g = − 0.183; 95% CI − 0.349 to − 0.017; P = 0.031) and fat mass (g = − 0.304; 95% CI − 0.548 to − 0.059; P = 0.015) to a greater extent than HC, with no effect on fat-free mass.
Why this rating
Based on a meta-analysis of 18 RCTs 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
- High-carbohydrate diets (≥45% TDCI) are superior to low-carbohydrate diets for reducing LDL cholesterol in healthy adults under energy-matched conditions.Good
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