What happens when people eat fewer carbs?
The Effects of Different Degrees of Carbohydrate Restriction and Carbohydrate Replacement on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Humans—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people eat fewer carbohydrates, they tend to lose a little weight, feel better blood pressure, and have healthier fats in their blood—but only if they replace carbs with good fats. If they eat too few carbs and replace them with bad fats, their 'bad' cholesterol goes up, which can be risky.
Surprising Findings
Very-low-carb diets raised LDL cholesterol even as they improved other markers.
Many assume that if a diet improves weight, blood pressure, and triglycerides, it must be heart-healthy. But this shows a key risk marker (LDL) gets worse—especially on strict keto-style diets.
Practical Takeaways
If you're going low-carb, replace carbs with unsaturated fats (like olive oil, nuts, avocado) instead of saturated fats (like butter, bacon, cheese).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people eat fewer carbohydrates, they tend to lose a little weight, feel better blood pressure, and have healthier fats in their blood—but only if they replace carbs with good fats. If they eat too few carbs and replace them with bad fats, their 'bad' cholesterol goes up, which can be risky.
Surprising Findings
Very-low-carb diets raised LDL cholesterol even as they improved other markers.
Many assume that if a diet improves weight, blood pressure, and triglycerides, it must be heart-healthy. But this shows a key risk marker (LDL) gets worse—especially on strict keto-style diets.
Practical Takeaways
If you're going low-carb, replace carbs with unsaturated fats (like olive oil, nuts, avocado) instead of saturated fats (like butter, bacon, cheese).
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2020
Authors
E. Fechner, E. Smeets, P. Schrauwen, R. Mensink
Related Content
Claims (6)
Eating fewer carbs might help lower your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.
Eating fewer carbs—like bread, pasta, and sugar—might help you lose about 3 pounds on average compared to eating a normal amount, especially if you're overweight. It could be a helpful short-term strategy to manage your weight.
Eating very few carbs—like on a strict keto diet—can raise your 'bad' cholesterol, especially if you're replacing those carbs with lots of saturated fats like butter and red meat.
If adults swap carbs for saturated fats—like butter or fatty meats—it changes their cholesterol levels in different ways. The kind of food replacing the carbs matters more than just cutting carbs alone.
Eating fewer carbs—especially very low amounts—seems to lower blood fat levels more than eating a little more carbs, which might be better for heart health.