Macro partitioning
A low-carbohydrate diet produces significantly greater improvements in HDL cholesterol levels compared to a low-fat diet, even when weight loss is equivalent.
If you choose a low-carbohydrate diet, you can expect a significant boost in HDL (good) cholesterol, which is a positive marker for heart health. This benefit persists even if your weight loss is similar to what you'd get from a low-fat diet. Monitor your lipids, but don't let fear of dietary fat prevent you from trying a low-carb approach if it suits your lifestyle.
The low-carbohydrate diet group had greater increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at all time points, approximating a 23% increase at 2 years.
Why this rating
RCT, long duration, clear statistical significance for HDL differences.
Source
Weight and Metabolic Outcomes After 2 Years on a Low-Carbohydrate Versus Low-Fat Diet
Gary D. Foster et al. · Annals of Internal Medicine · 2010
DOI 10.7326/0003-4819-153-3-201008030-00005
More from this paper
- When combined with comprehensive behavioral treatment, low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets produce equivalent long-term weight loss (approx. 7% at 2 years), refuting the claim that low-carb diets are superior for long-term weight loss.Strong
- A low-carbohydrate diet is associated with greater reductions in triglycerides and VLDL cholesterol in the first 6 months compared to a low-fat diet, but these differences diminish by 2 years.Strong
Related findings · Macro partitioning
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- 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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