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Evidence about the effects of low-carbohydrate diets on weight loss and on cardiovascular risk factors has been mixed. Now, researchers in Switzerland and the U.S. have conducted a meta-analysis of five randomized trials comparing low-carbohydrate, non–calorie-restricted diets with low-fat, calorie-restricted approaches. The trials involved 447 participants (age ≥16; BMI ≥25). Minimum follow-up was 6 months, but three trials (275 participants) had 12-month follow-up.
Low-carbohydrate dieters were significantly more likely than low-fat dieters to complete the trial (70% vs. 57%) and lost, on average, significantly more weight by 6 months (3.3 kg more). Although low-carbohydrate dieters had significant advantages over low-fat dieters in trigly…