Can a low-carbohydrate diet help support heart health? Image credit: Nadine Greeff/Stocksy. Due to their restrictive nature, low-carbohydrate diets, which provide less than 130 grams of carbohydrates per day, are often viewed as nutrient-deficient diets.
However, a recent study analyzed the calorie and nutrient levels provided by well-planned low- and very-low-carbohydrate diet plans, suggesting they can meet some of the nutrient needs of certain populations, particularly middle-aged women.
While these diet plans can offer some benefits, they don’t seem to meet the nutrient needs of all individuals equally, as they may lack some key nutrients while exceeding recommendations for others.
More research is needed, but health professionals recommend sticking with moderate to high consumption of carbohydrates from nutrient-dense, plant-based foods for optimal health.
Low-carbohydrate diets are increasingly popular despite ongoing debates about the diet’s nutritional value and long-term health effects.
The 2020−2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reported insufficient evidence on the health impacts of varying macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) levels outside accepted intake ranges and chose not to include low-carbohydrate diets as a recommended eating pattern.
Still, some experts advocate for including well-designed low-carbohydrate diets in the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans, especially for individuals with certain cardiometabolic conditions, while others continue to raise concerns about potential nutritional deficiencies and impaired overall diet quality .
Now, adding to the discussion, a new study published in Frontiers in Nutrition assessed the calorie and nutrient content of three well-planned 7-day low-carb diet plans.
The results suggest that these diets might provide sufficient amounts of certain nutrients, especially for middle-aged women, who may be the most likely to follow a low-carbohydrate diet in the United States. However, none of the low-carbohydrate meal plans could meet all of the calorie and nutrient needs of each studied gender and age group.The study received funding from Simply Good Foods USA, Inc , which owns Atkins and Quest Nutrition, brands selling low-carbohydrate food products.Additionally, two of the three study authors are declared employees, and one is a Simply Good Foods USA, Inc. shareholder. Medical News Today contacted Simply Good Foods for comment regarding the […]
Low-carb diets may support heart health, but how nutritious are they?
