Low-carb diets have been popular for decades.
They were once very controversial, but have recently gained mainstream acceptance.
Low-carb diets tend to result in greater weight loss than low-fat diets, at least in the short term ().
They also improve many health markers, such as blood triglycerides, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure (, , , , ).
However, many types of this power model exist.
Here are 8 popular ways to follow a low-carb diet.
Table of contents
1. A typical low-carb diet
The typical low-carb diet has no set definition.
It’s simply called a low-carb or carb-restricted diet.
This eating pattern tends to be lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein than a typical Western diet. It generally emphasizes meats, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats.
You are supposed to minimize your intake of high-carb foods like cereals, potatoes, sugary drinks and high-sugar junk foods.
The recommendation per day generally depends on your goals and preferences. A common topic might look like this:
- 100-150 grams. This range is intended for weight maintenance or frequent high intensity exercises. It leaves room for lots of fruit and even some starchy foods like potatoes.
- 50-100 grams. This range is intended for slow and steady weight loss or weight maintenance. There is room for lots of vegetables and fruits.
- Less than 50 grams. This is geared towards. Eat plenty of vegetables, but limit your fruit intake to berries with a low glycemic index (GI).
ABSTRACT Your typical low-carb diet contains far fewer carbohydrates and more protein than a normal diet. Recommended carbohydrate intake depends on individual goals and preferences.
2. Ketogenic diet
The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet.
The goal of a is to keep carbohydrates so low that your body enters a metabolic state called ketosis.
In this state, your insulin levels drop and your body releases large amounts of fatty acids from its fat stores.
Many of these fatty acids are transferred to your liver, which converts them into ketones. are water-soluble molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier and provide energy to your brain.
Then, instead of running on carbs, your brain starts relying heavily on ketones. Your body can produce the small amount of glucose still needed by your brain through a process called gluconeogenesis.
Some versions of this diet even limit protein intake, because too much protein can reduce the number of ketones you produce.
Traditionally used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children, the keto diet may also have benefits for other neurological disorders and metabolic problems like type 2 diabetes (, , , ).
It has also become popular for fat loss – even among some bodybuilders – because it is a very effective way to lose fat and tends to cause a significant reduction in appetite (, ).
A ketogenic diet involves foods high in fat. Carbohydrates are generally limited to less than 50 – and sometimes as little as 20-30 – grams per day.
A conventional keto diet is called the standard ketogenic diet (SKD).
However, there are other variations that involve strategically adding carbohydrates:
- Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD). In this version, you add small amounts of carbs around workouts.
- Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD). This type requires you to follow a ketogenic diet most days, but switch to a high-carb diet for 1-2 days per week.
ABSTRACT A ketogenic (keto) diet involves reducing carbohydrates enough to induce a metabolic state called ketosis. It is a very powerful diet for fat loss and can protect against several diseases.
3. Low Carb and Fat (LCHF)
stands for “low carb, high fat.” It's a pretty standard very low-carb diet, but with an even greater emphasis overall.
It mainly focuses on meats, fish and shellfish, eggs, healthy fats, vegetables, dairy, nuts and berries.
The recommended carbohydrate intake for this diet can range from 20 to 100 grams per day.
ABSTRACT The LCHF diet is a very low-carb diet that focuses primarily on whole, unprocessed foods.
4. Low-Carb Paleo Diet
It is currently one of the most popular ways of eating in the world. It encourages the consumption of foods that were likely available in Paleolithic times – before the agricultural and industrial revolutions.
According to paleo proponents, returning to the diet of your prehistoric ancestors should improve health because humans would have evolved and adapted to eat such foods.
Several studies show that a paleo diet can lead to weight loss, lower blood sugar, and improve heart disease risk factors (, , ).
A paleo diet is not low-carb by definition, but tends to be low-carb in practice.
It focuses on meats, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, tubers, nuts and seeds. A strict paleo diet eliminates processed foods, added sugar, grains, legumes and dairy.
There are several other popular versions, such as the Primitive Plan and Perfect Health Diets. All tend to be much lower in carbohydrates than a typical Western diet.
ABSTRACT The Paleolithic diet involves eating unprocessed foods that were likely available to your Paleolithic ancestors. Although it is not strictly low-carb, it can be modified to accommodate such a lifestyle.
5. The Atkins diet
This is the most well-known low-carb diet. This involves cutting out all high-carb foods while still eating as much protein and fat as you want.
The diet is divided into four phases:
- Phase 1: Integration. Eat less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day for 2 weeks.
- Phase 2: Balancing. Slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables, and fruits.
- Phase 3: Development. As you get closer to your goal weight, add more carbs until your weight loss slows.
- Phase 4: Maintenance. Eat as much as your body tolerates without regaining the weight you lost.
The Atkins diet was originally demonized, but current research indicates that it is both safe and effective as long as fiber intake is adequate. This diet is still popular today.
ABSTRACT The Atkins diet has been popular for over 40 years. This is a 4-phase low-carb diet that allows you to eat plenty of fat and protein.
6. Eco-Atkins
A diet called Eco-Atkins is essentially a vegan version of the Atkins diet.
It includes plant foods and ingredients high in protein and/or fat, such as gluten, soy, nuts and vegetable oils.
About 25% of its calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 45% from fat.
As such, it is higher in carbohydrates than a typical Atkins diet, but still much lower than a typical diet.
A six-month study showed that an Eco-Atkins diet led to greater weight loss and greater improvement in heart disease risk factors than a high-carb diet ().
ABSTRACT The Eco-Atkins diet is a vegan version of the Atkins diet. Although it is higher in carbohydrates than a typical Atkins diet, it is still very low in carbohydrates compared to most vegetarian and vegan diets.
7. Zero-carb
Some people prefer to eliminate all carbohydrates from their diet.
This is called a no-carb diet and usually includes only animal foods.
People on a no-carb diet eat fish, eggs, and animal fats like butter and lard. Some of them also add salt and spices.
No recent studies show that a no-carb diet is safe. There is only one case study — from 1930 — in which two men ate only meat and organs for a year but appeared to remain healthy ().
A no-carb diet lacks some important nutrients, such as vitamin C and vitamin C. For this reason, it is generally not recommended.
ABSTRACT Some people follow a no-carb diet, which excludes all plant foods. No quality studies have been carried out on this mode of eating, and it is generally not recommended.
8. Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet
The shampoo is very popular, especially among health professionals.
It is based on traditional foods from Mediterranean countries from the beginning of the 20th century.
Studies show that this diet can help prevent heart disease, breast cancer and type 2 diabetes (, , ).
A low-carb Mediterranean eating pattern is modeled after its namesake diet, but limits high-carb foods like whole grains.
Unlike a regular low-carb diet, it places more emphasis on fatty fish instead of red meat and more on fats like butter.
A low-carb Mediterranean diet may be better for heart disease prevention than other low-carb diets, although this needs to be confirmed in studies.
ABSTRACT A low-carb Mediterranean diet is similar to a regular low-carb diet. However, it includes more fish and extra virgin olive oil.
The bottom line
If you're considering trying a plan, choose a plan that fits your lifestyle, dietary preferences, and personal health goals.
What works for one person may not work for the next, so the best diet for you is the one you can.
