Research
Macro partitioning
Low-carbohydrate diets (<40% energy) are at least as effective as low-fat diets for short-term weight loss and improve triglyceride and HDL cholesterol profiles, but they increase total and LDL cholesterol levels.
If you choose a low-carb diet for weight loss, expect better triglyceride and HDL improvements than a low-fat diet, but monitor your LDL cholesterol closely as it may rise. The weight loss benefit is real in the short term (under 1 year).
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials revealed that low-carbohydrate diets are at least as effective as low-fat diets in terms of weight loss, but their cardiovascular effects vary. Low-carbohydrate diets confer more beneficial effects on weight loss and lipid profiles such as triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol but exhibited detrimental effects on lipid profiles such as total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Why this rating
Based on multiple meta-analyses of RCTs cited in the review.
Source
Low-Carbohydrate Diets in Korea: Why Does It Matter, and What Is Next?
Kyungho Ha et al. · Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome · 2021
DOI 10.7570/jomes21051
narrative_reviewCited 21×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- In Korean populations, high carbohydrate intake (50-80% of energy) is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, elevated triglycerides, and lower HDL cholesterol, but a reduced risk of elevated total and LDL cholesterol.Good
- Moderate carbohydrate intake (50-60% of energy) is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality risk, forming a U-shaped relationship where both very low (<40%) and very high (>70%) intakes increase mortality risk.Good
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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