Macro partitioning
Adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) results in significantly greater reductions in body mass index (BMI), total body weight, and body fat percentage compared to a low-fat diet (LFD).
If you are trying to lose weight, a low-carbohydrate diet (30-130g carbs/day) is likely to produce slightly better results in BMI, total weight, and body fat percentage than a low-fat diet. This holds true across various populations, including those with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Note that the absolute difference in fat mass (kg) and waist circumference was not significantly different between the two diets in the overall analysis.
Pooled analysis indicated that adherence to LCD was significantly associated with a greater reduction in BMI (SMD = - 0.07, 95% CI: -0.14,-0.001; P = 0.04), weight (kg) (SMD = - 0.22, 95% CI: - 0.31, - 0.12; P ≤ 0.001), and percentage of body fat mass (SMD = - 0.28, 95% CI: -0.48, - 0.08; P = 0.006) compared to LFD.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 63 RCTs with 7660 participants.
Source
Comparison of the Effect of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet with a Low-Fat Diet on Anthropometric Indices and Body Fat Percentage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Mina Darand et al. · Journal of Nutrition and Food Security · 2023
DOI 10.18502/jnfs.v8i3.13297
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- The superiority of low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss and body fat percentage reduction is most pronounced in subgroups with longer follow-up (≥6 months), younger age (<60 years), and very low carbohydrate intake (<10% carbs).Good
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