Research
Macro partitioning
A Moderate Carbohydrate-Low Protein (MCLP) diet is the most effective macronutrient ratio for reducing triglycerides compared to a moderate fat-low protein (MFLP) control diet.
If your main health concern is high triglycerides rather than weight loss, a diet with moderate carbohydrates (30-50% of calories) and low protein (≤30% of calories) is likely more effective than very low-carb diets. This ratio outperforms standard moderate-fat diets for this specific lipid marker.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Moderate-certainty evidence shows that those aiming for triglyceride reduction might prioritize the MCLP dietary group.
Why this rating
Moderate certainty evidence via CINeMA.
Source
Comparison with Dietary Groups of Various Macronutrient Ratios on Body Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Yiling Lou et al. · Nutrients · 2025
DOI 10.3390/nu17162683
Meta-analysis · 66 studies
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- A very low carbohydrate-low protein (VLCLP) diet is the most effective macronutrient ratio for weight loss compared to a moderate fat-low protein (MFLP) control diet, achieving a mean weight loss of 4.10 kg.Good
- There is no significant difference between various macronutrient dietary groups (VLCLP, MCLP, MCHP, etc.) in their ability to lower blood glucose, blood pressure, or total cholesterol compared to a moderate fat-low protein (MFLP) control diet.Moderate
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
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