Low Carb vs. Low Fat

Basics of each diet

Low carb diets limit your intake of carbs to varying degrees.

Very low carb diets: less than 10% of total daily calories, or 20–50 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet
Low carb diets: less than 26% of total daily calories, or fewer than 130 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet
Moderate carb diets: 26–44% of total daily calories

Low fat diets involve restricting fat intake to less than 30% of total daily calories.

High fat foods like cooking oils, butter, avocados, nuts, seeds, and full fat dairy are typically limited or banned.

Instead, you’re meant to eat naturally low fat foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, egg whites, legumes, and skinless poultry.

Low carb diets may be more effective for short-term weight loss than low fat diets.

Most studies indicate that low carb diets are more beneficial for fat loss.

Studies generally show that low carb, high protein diets decrease feelings of hunger and improve mood compared with low fat diets.

Low blood sugar levels can increase feelings of hunger and cause serious side effects like shakiness, fatigue, and unintentional changes in weight.

Other effects on health

Low fat and low carb diets may affect other aspects of health in different ways. These include:

Cholesterol. A review of eight studies found low carb diets to be more effective at improving levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and decreasing triglyceride levels than low fat diets. Neither diet significantly affected LDL (bad) cholesterol .
Blood pressure. Although studies show that both diets can reduce short-term blood pressure levels, research on their long-term effects on blood pressure has been mixed.
Triglycerides. Several studies note that a low carb diet can lead to greater reductions in triglycerides than a low fat diet .
Insulin. Studies on low carb and low fat diets’ effects on insulin levels have turned up conflicting results.