This is a new study that came out this year comparing a low carb vs low-fat diet on weight loss and insulin sensitivity.

The title is “Effects of weight loss during a very low carbohydrate diet on specific adipose tissue depots and insulin sensitivity in older adults with obesity: a randomized clinical trial”.

Study can be found here.

At first glance, this seems pretty darn good. Maybe if I hop on a low carb diet, I can lose all this weight and help my blood sugar too. If you give this study a read, you will find a couple of holes that diminish the credibility that "low carb diets are superior to low-fat diets" for fat loss and other markers of health.

First, "Participants were not instructed to restrict calories, but to reduce either dietary fat or carbohydrate intake based on their randomization." This study was NOT matched for calories. Weight Loss happens when energy in is less than energy out—Law of thermodynamics.

However..."The VLCD [very low carb diet] group reported consuming significantly fewer total calories per day" so yeah, no sh*t they lost more weight. They consumed fewer calories.🙄

Furthermore, at the end of the trial, participants from the low carb group consumed 16:30:54% energy from carbohydrates:protein:fat and the low-fat diet group consumed 47:19:36% energy from CHO:protein:fat. The very low carb group ate a WHOPPING 11% more protein compared to the low-fat group. Protein has a higher Thermic Effect of Food or TEF. TEF means that some of the calories in the food you ingest are used to digest, absorb, and metabolize the rest of the food, and some will be burned off as heat. Generally, Protein has the highest TEF, but it also very satiating and keeps your full for longer. Eating protein can help put you in a negative energy balance, which can translate into a calorie deficit.

As for the changes in insulin markers, you generally see them improve with weight loss.

So the takeaway: eat protein. Eat foods that will keep you full for longer, and mind your calories. Don't fall for low carb magic 😁

References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32817749/

https://examine.com/topics/thermic-effect-of-food/

https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/150/3/458/5637681

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30497926/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15639210/

https://optimisingnutrition.com/calculating-satiety/