Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet

The global obesity rate has risen significantly, prompting research into the optimal dietary strategies for weight loss, particularly in relation to macronutrient composition. Despite numerous studies, the most effective macronutrient balance for weight reduction remains under debate. The objective...

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Main Author: Dalal J. Alsharif
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jnsm.jnsm_60_21
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author Dalal J. Alsharif
author_facet Dalal J. Alsharif
author_sort Dalal J. Alsharif
collection DOAJ
description The global obesity rate has risen significantly, prompting research into the optimal dietary strategies for weight loss, particularly in relation to macronutrient composition. Despite numerous studies, the most effective macronutrient balance for weight reduction remains under debate. The objective of this article is to compare the impacts of a low-carbohydrate diet and a low-fat diet on weight loss and cardiovascular health. A comprehensive literature review was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies included randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews to provide a broad analysis of the evidence on a low-carbohydrate versus a low-fat diet. Short-term weight loss was significantly higher with a low-carbohydrate diet compared to an unrestricted low-fat diet. However, when matched for calorie intake, no significant difference in weight was observed between the two diets, suggesting that total calorie intake may be more influential than macronutrient composition. Notably, a low-carbohydrate diet induced a greater decrease in triglyceride levels and an increase in both high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to a low-fat diet.
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spelling doaj-art-50fd861fd8e9459c8db88f178f8dbe632025-08-20T02:52:38ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Nature and Science of Medicine2589-627X2589-62882025-01-01811510.4103/jnsm.jnsm_60_21Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate DietDalal J. AlsharifThe global obesity rate has risen significantly, prompting research into the optimal dietary strategies for weight loss, particularly in relation to macronutrient composition. Despite numerous studies, the most effective macronutrient balance for weight reduction remains under debate. The objective of this article is to compare the impacts of a low-carbohydrate diet and a low-fat diet on weight loss and cardiovascular health. A comprehensive literature review was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies included randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews to provide a broad analysis of the evidence on a low-carbohydrate versus a low-fat diet. Short-term weight loss was significantly higher with a low-carbohydrate diet compared to an unrestricted low-fat diet. However, when matched for calorie intake, no significant difference in weight was observed between the two diets, suggesting that total calorie intake may be more influential than macronutrient composition. Notably, a low-carbohydrate diet induced a greater decrease in triglyceride levels and an increase in both high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to a low-fat diet.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jnsm.jnsm_60_21cardiovascular diseaselow carbohydratelow fatweight loss
spellingShingle Dalal J. Alsharif
Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet
Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine
cardiovascular disease
low carbohydrate
low fat
weight loss
title Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet
title_full Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet
title_fullStr Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet
title_full_unstemmed Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet
title_short Low-fat versus Low-carbohydrate Diet
title_sort low fat versus low carbohydrate diet
topic cardiovascular disease
low carbohydrate
low fat
weight loss
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jnsm.jnsm_60_21
work_keys_str_mv AT dalaljalsharif lowfatversuslowcarbohydratediet