A lot of people who are trying to lose weight and boost fat burning followed low-fat diets.

However, low-carb diets have been shown in emerging research to be just as effective as low-fat diets. What’s more, they have been found to balance blood sugar levels, reduce hunger, and increase fat loss.

You may now be wondering which diet is best for weight loss. So here we evaluate and compare the weight loss effects of low-carb and low-fat diets.

Basics of Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets

Although structured differently, both low-carb and low-fat diets are designed to help you achieve weight loss.

Low-Carb Diet

Low-carb diets involve restricting carb intake to various degrees.

Low-carb diets: These diets involve consuming < 130 grams of carbs per day on a 2,000-calorie diet or < 26% of your total daily calories.

Moderate-carb diets: These diets allow 26–44% of total daily calorie intake.

Very low-carb diets: These diets allow only 20–50 grams of carbs per day on a 2,000-calorie diet or < 10% of total daily calories, for example, a keto diet.

Very low-carb diets significantly limit intake of carbs to induce ketosis, which is a metabolic state wherein the body utilizes fat, instead of carbs, for energy.

Low-carb diets generally limit intake of high carb foods like sweets, candies, baked goods, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Some forms may also restrict healthy carb food sources, including high carb fruits, high-carb vegetables, grains, legumes, and pasta.

At the same time, you are to increase your intake of healthy fat and protein from wholesome sources like unprocessed oils, high-fat dairy, nuts, fatty fish, meats, eggs, and non-starchy vegetables.

Low-Fat Diet

Low-fat diet, on the other hand, involves limiting intake of fat to < 30% of your total daily calories.

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

This type of diet advocates eating naturally low-fat foods, like skinless poultry, egg whites, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Fat-reduced foods like lean cuts of pork and beef, skim milk, and low-fat yogurt are sometimes allowed.

However, it is noteworthy that some fat-reduced products like yogurt contain artificial sweetener or added sugar.

Which Is Best for Your Health?

The effects of low-fat and low-carb diets on weight loss and several other aspects of health have been compared in multiple studies.

Weight Loss

Low-carb diets have been suggested in most research to be more effective for short-term weight loss compared to low-fat diets.

People who followed a low-carb diet has been shown in an older, 6-month study in 132 obese people to lose over 3 times more weight than those who adhered to a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet.

Additionally, adolescents with excess weight who adhered to a low-carb diet have been found in a small, 12-week study to lose an average of 9.9 kg, while those who followed a low-fat diet lost only 4.1 kg.

Likewise, a 2-year study gave 322 obese individuals either a Mediterranean, low-carb, or low-fat diet. The Mediterranean group lost 4.4 kg (9.7 pounds), the low-fat group lost 2.9 kg (6.4 pounds), and the low-carb group lost 4.7 kg (10.4 pounds). Apparently, the low-carb group lost more weight compared to the two other diets.

However, both low-carb and low-fat diets have been suggested in other research to be similarly effective in the long run.

A review of 17 studies has shown that those who followed a low-carb diet lost more weight compared to those on a low-fat diet. While the low-carb diet was still more effective after a year, their difference slowly declined over time.

Additionally, low-carb and low-fat diets have been found in a 2-year study in 61 diabetic people to yield similar weight changes.

Moreover, both have been found in a large meta-analysis of 48 studies to cause similar weight loss. It has also been noted that the most important factor for successful weight management is following a diet that you can stick to.

Fat Loss

Low-carb diets have been indicated in most studies to be more beneficial for fat loss.

Those who adhered to a low-carb, low-calorie diet have been found in a small, 16-week study to experience greater reductions in belly fat and total fat mass than those on a low-fat diet.

The same findings were also observed in a one-year study in 148 people.

What’s more, low-carb diets have been suggested in several other studies to significantly reduce belly fat compared to low-fat diets.

Plus, low-carb and very low-carb diets have been found in one analysis of 14 studies to reduce fat mass in obese individuals.

Hunger and Appetite

Low-carb, high-protein diets have been shown in studies to improve mood and reduce feelings of hunger than low-fat diets, which makes them sustainable even in the long term.

Low-fat diets, on the other hand, have been shown in one study in 148 people to result in greater reductions in levels of peptide YY—a hormone that decreases appetite and increases feelings of fullness—compared to a low-carb diet.

This may be partly because of the filling effects of the macronutrients fat and protein, which help keep you feeling full for longer by slowing the emptying of your stomach. What’s more, these macronutrients have been found to affect several hormones that control appetite and hunger.

High-protein and high-fat meals have been found in a small study to decrease levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, and increase levels of the fullness hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) to a greater extent than a high-carb meal.

Blood Sugar Levels

Low levels of blood sugar can not only cause serious side effects like fatigue, shakiness, and unintentional changes in weight, but also increase feelings of hunger.

One way to help manage blood sugar levels is to limit carb intake.

In fact, a low-carb diet has been shown in one study in 56 people with type 2 diabetes to be more effective at managing blood sugar, reducing insulin needs, and increasing weight loss, than a low-fat diet.

Additionally, only the low-carb diet has been found in a small study in 31 people comparing the effects of low-carb and low-fat diets to reduce levels of circulating insulin, resulting in an increased insulin sensitivity.

Increased insulin sensitivity improves blood sugar control by enhancing the body’s ability to transport glucose from your bloodstream to your cells.

Although the low-carb diet has been shown to be more effective for weight loss than a low-fat diet, no significant difference has been observed when it comes to blood sugar levels.

This necessitates further research on the two diets’ effects on blood sugar levels.

Other Effects on Health

Low-carb and low-fat diets also affect several other aspects of health, including the following:

Blood pressure. Both low-carb and low-fat diets have been shown to reduce short-term blood sugar levels; however, study results on their long-term effects are mixed. Therefore, further research is necessary.

Cholesterol. Low-carb diets have been found in a review of eight studies to be more effective at decreasing triglyceride levels and improving levels of HDL “good” cholesterol than low fat diets, but neither of them significantly affected LDL “bad” cholesterol.

Triglycerides. A low-carb diet has been noted in several studies to cause significant reductions in triglycerides than a low-fat diet.

Insulin. Studies on the effects of low-carb and low-fat diets on insulin levels found conflicting results, thereby necessitating further research to determine whether or not one is better than the other.

Conclusion

Many people consider a low-fat diet as a tool to lose weight.

However, low-carb diets have been associated with greater short-term weight loss, as well as decreased hunger, increased fat loss, and better blood sugar management.

While further research on the long-term effects of both diets is necessary, low-carb diets have been shown to be as effective for weight loss as low-fat diets. Plus, the former may provide several additional health benefits.

Whether you opt to follow a low-fat diet or a low-carb diet, always remember that one of the most important factors for weight loss success and improved health is sticking to an eating pattern that fits your lifestyle over the long run.