Macro partitioning
A low-carbohydrate diet improves cardiovascular risk markers (specifically HDL cholesterol and triglycerides) more effectively than a conventional diet, even when weight loss differences are accounted for.
Switching to a low-carb diet can significantly improve your HDL ('good') cholesterol and lower triglycerides more than a standard low-fat diet. While LDL cholesterol might rise initially, it often stabilizes over time. This suggests that focusing solely on fat intake might be less important than the overall macronutrient balance and its effect on your lipid profile.
In contrast, the relative increase in HDL cholesterol concentrations and the relative decrease in triglyceride concentrations were greater in the group on the low-carbohydrate diet than in the group on the conventional diet throughout most of the study.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with clear statistical differences in lipid profiles favoring the low-carb group.
Source
A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet for Obesity
Gary D. Foster et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2003
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