Research
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.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
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
Meta-analysis · 18 studies
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