Research
Macro partitioning
VLCK diets result in a preferential loss of trunk (abdominal) fat compared to low-fat diets, reducing the ratio of trunk fat to total fat.
Focus on reducing abdominal fat? A very low-carb diet may help target this area more effectively than a low-fat diet, particularly for men. This is a key health benefit of VLCK diets.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The greater reduction in trunk fat was not merely due to the greater total fat loss in men, because the ratio of trunk fat/total fat was also significantly reduced during the VLCK diet in men and women.
Why this rating
Small sample size, short duration, but specific DEXA measurements of trunk fat.
Source
Comparison of energy-restricted very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets on weight loss and body composition in overweight men and women
JS Volek et al. · Nutrition & Metabolism · 2004
DOI 10.1186/1743-7075-1-13
crossover · n=28Cited 177×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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