These two diets are often confused. We discuss the differences and help you choose what’s best for you
Millions of people go on a diet each year for various reasons, whether it's to better manage a health condition or simply a desire to feel better in one’s skin. As you begin to consider the endless list of diets on the internet, you might ask yourself: is this one healthy for me?
Two diets that have held the spotlight for some time and have had countless studies published on them are often confused: the low-glycemic diet and the low-carb diet. While both aim to improve health, each comes with its unique set of differences. Let's discuss each diet, sift through the research, and explain which is the healthier option for your goals.
What Is the Low-Glycemic Diet?
Perhaps at your most recent annual checkup, your doctor advised you to start
“watching your carb intake”
as your latest HbA1c (which is the three-month average of your blood sugar levels) crept up to risky heights. Upon doing some research, you discover the low-glycemic diet. The low-glycemic diet doesn’t require you to cut carbs but does emphasize choosing low-glycemic foods over high-glycemic foods. Foods that contain carbohydrates—anything from an apple to a bowl of pasta salad to a cookie—are all rated with a value from 0 to 100 on the glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) of 55 or less are mostly fruits, vegetables, beans, yogurt and nuts. These are deemed to be low-glycemic foods and are given the green light to regularly add to your eating pattern.
On the other hand, foods that have a high GI index are those with a GI of 70 or higher. These foods include things like baked goods, white rice, white bread, and certain cereals. According to the Glycemic Index Foundation, foods with a high GI index can cause your blood sugar to spike and then quickly fall, which is why they should be enjoyed in a more limited way. A food with a low GI index will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and may help you lose weight, improve your energy levels, and reduce your risk for certain health conditions including diabetes. However, this approach comes with limitations. For one, the diet doesn’t look at food as a whole, and some highly nutritious foods have a high glycemic index. For example, watermelon has a GI of 70; however, this juicy fruit is low in total calories, and high in antioxidants and water, and most dietitians would agree it’s a good choice for many healthy eating patterns. Secondly, the low-glycemic diet has a strong emphasis on portion sizes, which can be easy to misjudge. Finally, not all foods are listed on the GI index, so you might be left stumped when you cannot find a specific GI index for your favorite food.
What Is the Low-Carb Diet?
The diet that puts a cap on the number of carbs you can eat each day is a low-carb diet. The low-carb diet has become so popular that there are many variations of it such as the Atkins diet, Whole 30, and the South Beach diet —all of which emphasize low-carb intake but also come with their own set of diet rules. In general, the low-carb diet limits your total carbohydrate intake to a percentage of your total daily calories or provides a specific total gram amount to consume each day. The Low-Carbohydrates Diet defines a low-carb diet as less than 26% of your daily calories from carbs or less than 130 grams of total carbs per day. The goal of this diet is to assist with weight loss and help manage blood sugar levels. The low-carb diet, however, differs from the keto diet. The keto diet is very low carb, allocating less than 10% of total calories to come from carbs or approximately 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day—which is barely enough to eat a banana! However, it is recommended that you don’t drop below 40% of your calories from carbs or less than 120 grams of carbs per day. Drastically reducing your carb intake may prevent you from consuming sufficient vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in carb-rich foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes. Additionally, filling up on certain foods frequently recommended on keto diets, such as bacon, butter, or full-fat cheese, may have adverse effects on heart and digestive health if consumed in excess over time.
Which Is Healthier?
This brings us to the question of which diet—the low-glycemic or low-carb diet—is the healthier option. Let’s take a closer look at the research. The low-glycemic diet is favorable for cholesterol and blood sugar control, specifically for people living with or at risk for diabetes, compared to other diets. According to a 2019 meta-analysis published, participants who followed the low-glycemic diet had lowered HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol compared to other diets. Another 2022 meta-analysis published found the low-glycemic diet was also effective in lowering blood sugar levels and slightly reducing body mass.
On the flip side, the low-carb diet has been touted for weight loss benefits. But when compared to a low-fat diet, there wasn’t too much difference in results amongst participants, according to a 2022 meta-analysis published. Researchers also saw no difference in health benefits (e.g., blood sugar or cholesterol levels) when placing both a low-fat and low-carb diet side-by-side. Furthermore, following a very low-carb diet may hamper your mood. A 2023 meta-analysis published found that a low-carb diet significantly increased anxiety when participants’ diet consisted of less than 26% carb intake. low-carb and very low-carb diets, such as the keto diet, are at the bottom of their list of diets that promote heart health.
According to recent research, the low-glycemic index diet may offer more health benefits than a low-carb diet. Both low-glycemic and low-carb diets have the potential for weight loss; however, the low-glycemic diet shows greater advantages in lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels and isn’t as restrictive. Additionally, a very low-carb diet may affect one’s mood, has not been shown to promote heart health, and isn’t a sustainable diet plan to follow for the long term.
While the low-glycemic diet might be beneficial for some, it may not be a fit for everyone. Diets have limitations and downfalls. Plus, what might work for you may not work for someone else. Nutrition is personal and each person has a unique set of needs, medical history, food preferences, and goals that need to be taken into consideration before implementing any type of meal plan. Consulting with a registered dietitian nutritionist before starting any diet or meal plan is always recommended.
Adapted from: EatingWell
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