If you’re living with obesity, you may have been advised to follow a low-carbohydrate diet as a way to lose weight. Losing weight can help manage and prevent health complications related to obesity, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. But is a low-carb diet right for everyone?

Studies on low-carb diets for obesity have shown mixed results. But this diet might offer health benefits for some people. Learn more about this diet, whether it can help with obesity, and what to consider if you’ve been diagnosed with obesity.

What Is a Low-Carb Diet?

A low-carb or low-carbohydrate diet is a nutrition plan that reduces the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Some popular low-carb diets include the ketogenic diet, the Atkins diet, and other low-carb high-fat diets.

Carbohydrates are one of the body’s main sources of energy and an essential nutrient found in foods like bread, pasta, rice, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. When you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into sugars — mainly glucose — to use for fuel. If there’s more glucose than your body needs, it may be stored as fat. Most low-carb diets limit carb intake to under 130 grams per day, compared to the 225 to 325 grams typically found in a standard diet.

Diet and Obesity

Obesity treatment uses different methods, like diet and exercise, to help people reach a healthy weight. Doing so helps lower your risk of obesity complications and other health conditions. Diet changes may include limiting calories, eating more plant-based and whole foods, and excluding certain types of foods and drinks, like those high in carbohydrates.

No diet can promise weight loss and management for everyone with obesity. You should avoid fad diets and work closely with your healthcare professional and other specialists, like a registered dietitian, to find the best diet for you.

Your healthcare provider might recommend a low-carb diet for obesity as a way to help manage your weight and prevent other health conditions.

Is a Low-Carb Diet Helpful for Obesity?

Many people, including some medical professionals, are interested in low-carb diets because they may help with weight loss and other health problems linked to obesity. However, there are differing opinions and conflicting research. Scientists have studied low-carb diets to see if they really work. Here’s what the research says about how a low-carb diet might help people with obesity.

Weight Loss and Body Fat

Some studies have found that low-carb, high-protein diets can lead to greater short-term weight loss than diets like low-fat or Mediterranean plans. In one study from the journal Metabolites, people on a low-carb diet lost about 5 percent of their body weight, which was more weight than people on other diets. People also lost more body fat and saw their body mass index (BMI) go down. This means that a low-carb diet could potentially help with weight loss over a few months, followed by a Mediterranean-style diet for long-term maintenance.

Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

A low-carb diet may help with other health problems that can come with obesity, like high blood pressure and unhealthy levels of cholesterol. Research found that people on low-carb diets had lower blood pressure, lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL, often called “bad cholesterol”), and lower triglycerides. They also had higher “good” cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL). These changes can support heart health and may help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Blood Sugar and Insulin

If you have obesity, you may also have problems with blood sugar or be at risk for diabetes. Studies have found that low-carb diets may help lower blood sugar and improve how your body uses insulin. This means that a low-carb diet might help you control your blood sugar and lower your risk of getting diabetes, or help manage it more effectively if you already have it.

Research Limitations

Some studies show that a low-carb diet might help with obesity and other health conditions, but these studies have limitations. For one, many studies on low-carb diets only follow people for a short amount of time. They don’t have evidence about how low-carb diets work in the long term.

Additionally, there are not many high-quality studies on the topic of low-carb diets and obesity. There’s much more research about other diets for obesity, like the Mediterranean diet.

These research limitations are another reason why it’s important to discuss your nutrition plan with your healthcare provider. Depending on your health, another eating plan might be better for you.

Risks of Low-Carb Diets

Although low-carb diets are popular and often promoted for weight loss, they have some risks. If you follow a low-carb diet, you might not get enough important nutrients like fiber, certain vitamins, and minerals if you follow it long term.

Not getting enough carbs may also cause issues since carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. You may have heard of the “keto flu,” which causes headaches and nausea from eating too few carbs. Not eating enough carbs for a long time can cause issues like shifts in your hormones and fluid and mineral loss, among other effects.

Find a Balanced Approach

Restrictive diets can be hard to stick with in the long term and may lead to missing important nutrients. That’s why many doctors recommend the Mediterranean diet — a balanced approach shown to reduce the risk of other health conditions linked to obesity.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, and healthy fats like olive oil. It’s low in saturated fats, such as those found in red meat. Rather than cutting out entire food groups, this diet focuses on variety and nourishing choices.

Healthy eating has benefits beyond weight loss. Choosing nutritious foods can boost your energy, support your immune system, and lower your risk of chronic conditions. And even if the number on the scale doesn’t change, your overall health still can.

Importantly, research shows that diets affect people differently. A diet that fits your needs and lifestyle is key — and your doctor or a dietitian can help you find the right one.

Talk With Others Who Understand

On MyObesityTeam, the social network for people with obesity and their loved ones, members come together to ask questions, offer support and advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with obesity.

Have you tried a low-carb diet to help with obesity? What nutrition plans have helped you? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.