- 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 CommitteeTrusted Source 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 qualityTrusted Source.
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 dietTrusted Source 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 study’s funding and reported conflicts of interest.
In response, Jonathan Clinthorne, PhD, study author and the Senior Director of Nutrition at Simply Good Foods, told MNT that: “The funder designed and analyzed the dietary pattern modeling using publicly available datasets and helped write the manuscript, alongside a third-party expert. The study underwent peer-review to ensure scientific integrity of the work.”
Clinthorne further stated:
“The goal of this study was to determine whether different levels of carbohydrate restriction could provide adequate nutrition, as this is a common question regarding lower carbohydrate diets. The study uses food pattern modelling, which is an easily repeatable process for the research community, it went through peer-review to ensure scientific integrity of the work, and we followed the COI disclosure practices required by the journal. The study also transparently demonstrates both the nutrients of adequacy and of concern when following these types of dietary patterns, which can help advance the scientific dialogue around low-carbohydrate diets.”
Typically, low-carb diets involve consuming less than 130 grams (g) of carbohydrates daily, accounting for less than 26% of a person’s daily calorie intake.
Very low-carbohydrate diets are even more restrictive, with only 20–50 g of carbohydrates per day, representing less than 10% of daily calories.
The researchers developed three specific diet plans, each providing 20, 40, or 100 g of net carbohydrates and varied amounts of other nutrients and calories daily.
“Net carbohydrates” refer to those digestible by humans, calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates on a food label.
The food items were intentionally chosen to address nutrients of public health concernTrusted Source identified in the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and to fit within guidance generally found in clinical studies of low carbohydrate diets and from professional societies.
The researchers assessed how well these plans met the recommended dietary allowances for men and women ages 31–50 and 51–70.
They conducted nutrient analysis using the USDA’s Food Data CentralTrusted Source, which offers comprehensive food and nutrient profiles.