From Atkins to the ketogenic diet, low-carb consumption has some significant lasting power in the diet world. Check out this guide if you’re inquisitive about how this dietary approach may aid diabetes management, weight loss, and other purported health benefits.

What Is a Low-Carb Diet?

For starters, know that what’s minimal carbohydrate for one person isn’t for another. “There’s no medical definition of what low-carb is,” says Columbus, Ohio–based Kelly Schmidt, RD.

Basically, it’s reducing the quantity of carbohydrates you consume from your norm. In general, however, a low-carb diet may include 50 to 100 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day, she says. Below that is considered very-low-carb, such as the ketogenic diet, while 100 to 200 g of carbohydrates per day is a moderate-carb diet.

Potential Benefits of a Low-Carb Diet

You undoubtedly hear the most about low-carb diet for weight loss, but for some individuals, the approach could also help optimize their health, says Schmidt. “Research shows that women who are obese or have metabolic problems [may] do better hormonally on lower carbs,” says Schmidt, pointing out that other outcomes of the diet can include improved sleep, mental clarity, and increased satiety.

As low-carb dietitian Franziska Spritzler, RD, who’s based in Orange County, California, points out, when you cut back on carbohydrates, blood sugar and insulin levels generally go down, which can be a positive thing for A1C, or the two- to three-month average of blood sugar levels. This may also assist with weight loss, another common aim for persons with type 2 diabetes.

These forms of benefits may be realized almost immediately. Past research demonstrates that people who ate three lower-carb meals (of less than 30 percent carbohydrates each) reduced their insulin resistance by more than 30 percent compared with people who consumed higher-carb meals (60 percent carbs). Further research indicates that insulin resistance can be alleviated with a low-carb diet in just one month.

You can see the results, too. One small randomized clinical trial on older adults with obesity found that, compared with a low-fat diet, a very low carb diet took off 3 times more visceral fat, a form of abdominal fat that surrounds organs and is linked to disease. The low-carb group also lost 9.7 percent of total fat compared with just 2 percent in the low-fat followers. A meta-analysis also concluded that in obese individuals, a low-carb diet reduced fat over the course of a year (but not body weight), with the greatest benefits seen in a very-low-carb diet.

Limitations of Low-Carb Dieting

That said, there isn’t an agreement that a low-carb diet is superior to any other kind of diet or that it’s healthier long term. A review that looked at the diet among those with diabetes noted that when it comes to weight loss, a low-carb diet performs no better than other higher-carb diets; and that it doesn’t produce improved glycemic control, either. Another report also found that over one year, those on a low-carb diet lost weight quicker than those on a low-fat one, but after a year, weight loss and A1C levels (an average of blood glucose over about three months) were remarkably similar.

Health Risks of Low-Carb Diets

What’s more, low-carb diets may be hazardous for certain groups.

If you’re expectant or lactating, following a low-carb diet isn’t recommended (barring gestational diabetes, in which case, consult your healthcare team).

“Many women who are pregnant find that the thought of eating protein and fat makes them sick,” says Spritzler. This can be notably common in the first trimester. “They naturally want more carbs. You should always heed to your body,” she says.

Separate from pregnancy, consider your lifestyle. If you’re someone who does intense CrossFit-style exercises, a low-carb diet may not sustain you adequately, says Schmidt.

And the things weighing on you matter, too. “Anyone in a stressful state, like a divorce or dealing with a death in the family, needs carbs to support their adrenal system,” she observes.

As for if you’re dealing with health issues, defer to your doctor. For instance, if you have kidney disease, you also want to speak to your doctor about appropriate protein intake. If you have cardiac disease, you can still go low carb, but you’re best off selecting for monounsaturated fats (avocados, almonds, and olive oil) over saturated fats (butter and red meat). Indeed, this holds true for everyone, regardless of heart disease status.

Although there is some data that suggests a low-carb diet that contains more saturated fat than current recommendations did not increase “bad” LDL cholesterol (a risk factor for heart disease), you should still pay attention to the quality of foods in your low-carb diet.[8] Everyone’s cholesterol levels respond differently on a low-carb diet, so if yours are going up, move to unsaturated sources of lipids, Spritzler recommends. “In general, this is a diet most people can do. If you have a chronic condition, work with a clinician who understands low-carbohydrate diets to monitor you,” she adds.

Last, if you have a history of eating disorders, a low-carb diet (or any eating plan that is restrictive) can be hazardous, nutrition and mental health experts agree.

Types of Low-Carb Diets

Going low-carb looks different depending on which approach you’re going with. Here are a handful you may contemplate.

Keto Diet

• This is the strictest plan, requiring you to consume less than 50 g of carbohydrates per day and up your fat intake significantly. You’ll consume a moderate amount of protein. This is a popular weight loss diet.

Traditional Low Carb

• This approach includes 50 to 100 g of carbohydrates per day; this is where many people start because it’s less restrictive than a keto diet meal plan but can still deliver results.

Atkins Diet

• The Atkins diet takes you through four phases, commencing with very-low-carb consumption and then progressively incorporating more carbohydrate-rich items throughout. It’s excellent for individuals who like a more structured plan.

Dukan Diet

• This option also includes four phases: two weight loss and two maintenance. For instance, the first phase of the Dukan diet concentrates on high-protein foods, the second brings vegetables back in, the third permits two “celebration” meals per week, and the fourth is about maintaining your weight stable. Because you can follow the regimen from the book, it also appeals to individuals who need a planned approach.

Paleo Diet

• Just because the paleo diet eliminates carbohydrates doesn’t mean it’s low in carbs, particularly if you consume root vegetables (like sweet potatoes) and fruit, but it can be followed this way.

A 3-Day Sample Menu of a Low-Carb Diet

Your choices and portion proportions will depend on your individual carbohydrate objective and calorie requirements, but here’s a sample meal plan for a low-carb diet to give you an idea of how it appears to consume this way:

Day 1

• Breakfast Veggie omelet crowned with avocado
• Lunch Burrito bowl (no rice or beans) with additional fajita veggies, extra meat (of choice), queso, guacamole, and salsa
• Dinner Grilled chicken breast with assorted roasted vegetables (broccoli or cauliflower) and a half of a sweet potato with butter
• Snack Option Mixed berries with a dollop of almond butter

Day 2

• Breakfast Chia seed pudding garnished with almonds and melon
• Lunch Arugula salad with broiled salmon
• Dinner Chicken or sirloin tacos in lettuce wrappers; side salad with tomatoes and vinaigrette
• Snack Option Snack bundle of olives, plus raw vegetables

Day 3

• Breakfast Eggs with sautéed greens (spinach or kale); strawberries or blueberries sprinkled with Greek yogurt and minced almonds
• Lunch Chicken and vegetable broth (without grains or vermicelli)
• Dinner Shrimp and vegetable stir-fry over cauliflower rice
• Snack Option Epic bar (grass-fed meat-based protein bar) with segments of cucumber and red pepper