Research
Macro partitioning
Low-carbohydrate diets can be effective for improving diabetes-related outcomes and triglycerides, but their impact on cardiovascular health depends heavily on the source of replaced macronutrients (plant-based vs. animal-based).
If you choose a low-carbohydrate diet, ensure it is plant-based, emphasizing vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Avoid animal-based low-carbohydrate diets, as they are associated with increased mortality. Monitor lipids closely, as LDL-C may increase.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
a plant-based low-carbohydrate diet is inversely associated with lower risk of mortality whereas an animal-based low-carbohydrate diet was positively associated with the same outcome.
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and observational studies; lack of robust RCT evidence post-MI.
Source
Optimum nutritional strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation (BACPR)
Tom Butler et al. · Heart · 2020
DOI 10.1136/heartjnl-2019-315499
narrative_reviewCited 52×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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