Low carbohydrate diets or balanced‐carbohydrate diets: which works better for weight loss & heart disease risks?

Low‐carbohydrate versus balanced‐carbohydrate diets for reducing weight and cardiovascular risk

Key Messages

  • There is probably little to no difference in the weight lost by people following low-carbohydrate weight-reducing diets (also known as 'low-carb diets') compared to the weight lost by people following balanced-carbohydrate weight-reducing diets, for up to two years.
  • Similarly, there is probably little to no difference between the diets for changes in heart disease risks, like diastolic blood pressure, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar levels over 2-3 months) and LDL cholesterol (‘unhealthy’ cholesterol) up to two years.
  • This was the case in people with and without type 2 diabetes.

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