Hormonal
Low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) diets produce weight loss and improved cardiovascular risk markers (lower triglycerides, higher HDL, lower blood pressure) that are at least equivalent to, and often superior to, low-fat high-carbohydrate (LFHC) diets, particularly in individuals with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
Adopt a low-carbohydrate high-fat diet by restricting carbohydrates to less than 130g per day (or <26% of calories) and focusing on unprocessed foods like vegetables, meats, and healthy fats. You do not need to count calories; eat until satisfied. Monitor your blood lipids, especially LDL, as responses vary, but expect improvements in weight, blood sugar, and triglycerides, particularly if you have insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
Available evidence from clinical and preclinical studies indicates that LCHF diets consistently improve all other markers of cardiovascular risk—lowering elevated blood glucose, insulin, triglyceride, ApoB and saturated fat (especially palmitoleic acid) concentrations, reducing small dense LDL particle numbers, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, blood pressure and body weight while increasing low HDL-cholesterol concentrations and reversing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Why this rating
The paper is a narrative review citing multiple RCTs and systematic reviews, but acknowledges variability in LDL response.
Source
Evidence that supports the prescription of low-carbohydrate high-fat diets: a narrative review
Timothy D. Noakes et al. · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2017
DOI 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096491
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