9. Low carb diets
Low carb diets are among the most popular diets for weight loss. Examples include the Atkins diet, ketogenic (keto) diet, and low carb, high fat (LCHF) diet.
Some varieties reduce carbs more drastically than others. For instance, very low carb diets like the keto diet restrict this macronutrient to under 10% of total calories, compared with 30% or less for other types (44Trusted Source).
How it works
Low carb diets restrict your carb intake in favor of protein and fat.
They’re typically higher in protein than low fat diets, which is important, as protein can help curb your appetite, raise your metabolism, and conserves muscle mass (45Trusted Source).
In very low carb diets like keto, your body begins using fatty acids rather than carbs for energy by converting them into ketones. This process is called ketosis (46Trusted Source).
Health benefits
Research suggests that low carb diets may reduce risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol and blood pressure levels. They may also improve blood sugar and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes (47Trusted Source, 48Trusted Source).
Many studies indicate that low carb diets can aid weight loss and may be more effective than conventional low fat diets (49Trusted Source, 50Trusted Source, 51Trusted Source).
For example, a review of 53 studies made up of 68,128 participants found that low carb diets resulted in significantly more weight loss than low fat diets (52Trusted Source).
What’s more, low carb diets appear to be quite effective at burning harmful belly fat (53Trusted Source, 54Trusted Source, 55Trusted Source).
Downsides
In some cases, a low carb diet may raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Very low carb diets can also be difficult to follow and cause digestive upset in some people (56Trusted Source).
In very rare situations, following a very low carb diet may cause a condition known as ketoacidosis, a dangerous metabolic condition that can be fatal if left untreated (57Trusted Source, 58Trusted Source).
