Which diet helps your body handle sugar and fat better?
Carbohydrate Restriction has a More Favorable Impact on the Metabolic Syndrome than a Low Fat Diet
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Saturated fat intake was three times higher on the low-carb diet, yet blood markers of harmful fats decreased.
This contradicts the traditional 'diet-heart hypothesis' that eating more saturated fat raises heart disease risk.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high triglycerides, insulin resistance, or prediabetes, reducing carbs may be more effective than cutting fat.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Saturated fat intake was three times higher on the low-carb diet, yet blood markers of harmful fats decreased.
This contradicts the traditional 'diet-heart hypothesis' that eating more saturated fat raises heart disease risk.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high triglycerides, insulin resistance, or prediabetes, reducing carbs may be more effective than cutting fat.
Publication
Journal
Lipids
Year
2009
Authors
J. Volek, S. Phinney, C. Forsythe, E. Quann, R. Wood, M. Puglisi, W. Kraemer, D. Bibus, M. Fernández, R. Feinman
Related Content
Claims (5)
Cutting carbs works better than cutting fat if you're trying to manage insulin-related health problems like type 2 diabetes.
If you're an adult with a certain type of unhealthy cholesterol, cutting carbs while eating fewer calories might help you lose more weight and body fat over 3 months than cutting fat instead — the type of food you restrict could matter for how your body changes.
For adults with unhealthy cholesterol levels, cutting carbs while eating fewer calories seems to improve heart-related blood fats more than a low-fat diet over 12 weeks.
For adults with a certain type of unhealthy cholesterol and blood sugar issues, cutting carbs way down for 12 weeks might lower insulin and blood sugar more than a low-fat diet — meaning it could help control blood sugar better.
For adults with unhealthy cholesterol levels, cutting carbs and calories for 12 weeks might improve heart disease risk more than a low-fat diet, based on deeper blood fat measures.