When does a low-carb diet become more than simply a low-carb diet? When it has a different name, And, with the growing popularity of low-carb living for alleged weight reduction and health advantages, many individuals are flocking to the diet in all of its manifestations. Because most Americans consume more than 200 grams of carbs per day, says Kelly Schmidt, RD, LDN, a nutrition consultant in Columbus, Ohio, sliding below that level will result in a lower-carb diet.

Indeed, the Mayo Clinic recommends that carbs comprise 45 to 65 percent of a person’s daily calorie intake. If you eat 2,000 calories a day, you’ll consume anywhere from 900 to 1,300 calories from carbohydrates or 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates each day.

Some studies, like a January 2020 piece in Stat Pearls, show that eating low-carb does help individuals lose weight—at least temporarily. The low-carb trend isn’t slowing down. Some scientists, on the other hand, are concerned that this could not be a healthy way to eat permanently. A study published in September 2019 in the European Heart Journal found that people who ate the least quantity of carbohydrates had the greatest chance of dying from cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer.

Based on these results, a low-carb diet could be something to think about. You should know that there are a wide variety of diets to choose from, including the ketogenic and Dukan diets. Although the name does matter, it isn’t the most important thing. For Schmidt, “the mainline is that you should concentrate on eating more actual food than not, which is one of the reasons why low-carb diets may be so effective,” he explains.

Many of the popular low-carb diet fads lack scientific evidence. As a result, many of their purported advantages are unverified and may be based only on the experiences of a few people. This guide outlines 10 famous low-carb diets and how they work.

1. The Ketogenic, or ‘Keto’ Diet

According to Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDCES, a low-carb dietician located in Hollywood, Florida, this is one of the harshest methods to conduct a low-carb diet since it restricts you to consuming items that total fewer than 50 g of carbohydrates per day, while other experts propose dropping to less than 30 or 20 g. (Specifically, she recommends that most individuals should remain around 30 g, but that some energetic people can go a little higher.) You’ll also consume a lot of fat – up to 80% of your daily calories.

A keto diet converts your body’s fuel-burning engine from one that runs on carbohydrates to one that runs on fat. One important advantage is that you may lose a considerable amount of weight rapidly, which may be quite motivating at first. The disadvantage is that it’s a very restricting diet — you’re consuming largely fat sources, with a little protein and some nonstarchy greens — so it’s tough to keep up, and it’s usually designed as a short-term diet, not a lasting transformation.

According to a December 2018 analysis in Canadian Family Physician, keto diets induce slightly greater weight reduction than low-fat diets (“little more” being roughly 4.4 pounds), but these benefits are unlikely to sustain. According to the research, keto dieters began to recover the weight they lost after around five months.

2. A Basic Low-Carb Diet

According to Schmidt, there is no formal definition of a low-carb diet. According to her, a low-carb diet is defined as ingesting between 50 and 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. It’s possible to consume even fewer carbohydrates than you normally do, but it’s all about cutting down on your carb intake. You may consume as much or as little as you need to suit your body’s requirements with this regimen, which is a big plus. As a result, it gives you a lot of freedom when it comes to deciding what kinds of carbohydrates you want to include in your diet (fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and seeds). It’s perfect for someone who enjoys the freedom of not having to count carbohydrates and doesn’t have the time to do so.

Is there any advantage to adopting this old-fashioned method? Low-, moderate-, or high-carbohydrate diets were tested on obese adults who had metabolic syndrome (a cluster of risk factors including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess belly fat, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes), according to a study published in the journal JCI Insight in June 2019. In the low-carb group, triglycerides were reduced, “good” HDL cholesterol was improved, and “bad” LDL cholesterol was improved, regardless of whether or not the participants were able to shed any excess pounds.

3. A Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet

This sounds similar to keto, but on this diet, you consume more carbohydrates and less fat (so your body isn’t in the fat-burning state of ketosis, as it is during keto). Carbohydrates may account for roughly 25% of your calories, whereas fat contributes to more than 60%. The good news is that, although the keto diet is so restrictive that many dieters struggle to keep it up, a more liberal carb allocation (100 to 150 g of carbohydrates per day) is “more realistic,” according to researchers in a June 2018 report published in the European Journal of Nutrition. However, the authors also point out that although low-carb, high-fat diets may help individuals lose weight, the long-term health benefits or dangers are unclear, and further study is needed.

Many individuals follow this sort of low-carb diet to improve their exercise performance. Proponents claim it may train your body to burn fat for fuel, offering a more sustained source of energy during long periods of endurance exercise. However, whether this diet improves performance is still debatable, according to research published in Sports Medicine in November 2015. If you’re an athlete interested in this eating approach, your best chance is to speak with a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition to determine what’s ideal for you.

4. The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is credited with sparking the low-carb trend. “Dr. Atkins recognized very early on that restricting carbohydrates but allowing limitless protein and fat had such a large influence on appetite and insulin levels,” Spritzler explains.

On this regimen, you begin with a very low, ketogenic-like consumption and gradually reintroduce carb sources such as vegetables and fruit. Adding back in too many carbohydrates, gaining weight, and then believing the diet isn’t working, according to Spritzler, is a typical mistake. For example, if you’re in maintenance mode, you shouldn’t be eating bread.

Having said that, this diet also includes prepackaged meals and snacks, which are processed fare regardless of the designation “low carb.” According to Spritzler, the easiest way to follow this diet is to consume complete foods. In terms of effectiveness when compared to other diets, it may be the most beneficial – at least in the short term. According to a meta-analysis of 59 studies on different diets published in September 2014 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, those who followed the Atkins diet lost roughly 22 pounds after six months.

One thing to keep in mind: this diet is not the same as the Eco-Atkins diet, which was placed 22nd out of 40 in the 2018 US News & World Report Best Diets but did not rank in 2020. The “eco” twist is that it emphasizes plant-based proteins and unsaturated fats with a higher carbohydrate intake; you’ll probably avoid most animal products and saturated fats.

5. Low-Carb Paleo

The caveman diet focuses on fat and protein while restricting carbs. However, just cutting out grains, lentils, beans, sweets, and dairy does not automatically make it low carb, since you may still consume starchy vegetables and fruits, which might add up. “A paleo diet might include carbohydrates ranging from keto to typical carb levels,” Spritzler explains. According to her, one advantage of a paleo diet is that it promotes entire, unadulterated foods. If you prefer a more plant-based diet, it may seem meat-heavy. To keep it low-carb, use veggies that are naturally lower in carbs, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers.

There haven’t been many studies on the paleo diet in general, so it’s uncertain how successful a low-carb version would be. However, early research described in January–February 2016 review in Australian Family Physician suggest that a paleo diet may help you lose weight, decrease belly fat, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The disadvantage, according to the researchers, is that the studies examining the diet are short-term and low-quality; it’s also 10% more costly than a conventional diet and puts you at risk for calcium deficiencies, they add.

6. Whole30

Another low-carbohydrate diet that isn’t Whole30 (which calls itself more of a program) is the South Beach Diet. If you want to lose weight, you have to consume no more than three meals a day that isn’t made up of grains, legumes, or dairy products, as well as no added sugar.

If you’re used to eating the typical American diet, which is low in fruits and vegetables, and high in added sugar and fat, this may be a radical change for you, but it may help you lose weight, says Spritzler, who adds that the freedom to eat as many carbs as you want may make it a poor fit for people with type 2 diabetes because it allows you to eat whatever you want. As a short-term task, you may expect this to be difficult. Before you begin, you need to assess your level of commitment, and then devise a strategy for what to do when the 30-day period is through.

7. Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet

It gets a lot of points from Spritzler because of its overall healthiness. She explains that she “believes this is the best diet to follow since it combines the advantages of both a Mediterranean and a low-carb diet.” According to a September 2016 study in BMC Medicine, a Mediterranean diet is connected with a decreased risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, those with type 2 diabetes are more susceptible to heart disease, and those who have a personal or family history of heart disease may benefit from this diet, which is low in carbohydrates but high in healthy fats. Instead of butter, cheese, and cream, your major sources of fat should be olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and avocado.

For many individuals, a low-carb diet is enticing because it allows them to enjoy their favorite foods, such as bacon and cheese while reducing their risk of heart disease. According to research published in Diabetes Care in July 2014, people with type 2 diabetes who follow a Mediterranean diet that limits carbs to no more than 50% of their daily calorie intake have a lower risk of developing the disease.

8. Dukan Diet

You’ll go through four stages on this diet. After completing the first phase, you’ll begin including more carbohydrate-rich items like fruit and whole-grain bread, as well as two celebration meals each week, into your diet. In the final phase, you will focus on maintaining your weight loss results by consuming a variety of meals from all food groups, supplementing with oat bran, and engaging in regular exercise.

According to US News & World Report’s 2020 rankings, the Dukan Diet is ranked 35th out of 40 overall best diets. Why? There are a lot of guidelines to follow, and the experts on the panel warn that the high protein intake may be harmful to your health. According to September 2014 research in Translational Andrology and Urology, the high-protein early phase of the diet increases the likelihood of kidney stones as an unpleasant side effect. If you’ve had kidney stones in the past, the authors recommend reconsidering this diet.

9. The South Beach Diet

Unlike other low-carb diets, this one focuses only on weight reduction, unlike other low-carb diets that emphasize health advantages. The Mayo Clinic points out that the South Beach Diet isn’t a rigorous low-carb diet, despite its emphasis on lean protein and healthy fats. After the first phase, you consume a lot of “healthy carbohydrates.”

Frozen and ready-to-eat On the diet, South Beach Program meals are available, along with certain meals that you prepare yourself. They also push you to purchase South Beach Diet-branded foods. Having to purchase your food via them might restrict your options, but on the plus side, they’ll advise you on what to eat every day and there’s minimal preparation needed (perfect if you despise your kitchen). When you purchase packaged goods, you’re also missing out on the full nutritional benefits of eating real foods.

Then there’s the possibility that it’s nutritionally deficient. Past studies have shown that the South Beach diet is exceptionally low calorie (about 1,200 calories) but does not provide an adequate quantity of vital minerals such as vitamin D, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

10. Zero-Carb Diet

A zero-carb diet, a diet that lacks research and requires consuming only meat and fat, has become popular among many individuals. To eat solely meat is comparable to the controversial carnivore eating plan. Saturated fat, fiber, and fruits and vegetables are all missing from this diet. This is a major drawback of this kind of diet since it may be quite unhealthy. You should visit a doctor before embarking on a zero-carb diet, which is more extreme than a ketogenic diet, which experts suggest talking to your doctor about before embarking on.