Low-carb and keto diets affect how your body uses carbohydrates for energy and weight management. The keto diet is more restrictive, which often leads to faster weight loss.
Both low-carb and keto diets limit carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, pasta, grains, and sugary snacks. In their place, these diets encourage protein-rich foods and healthy fats including avocados, vegetables, meats, and nuts.
The main difference between low-carb and keto diets is the amount of carbohydrates allowed per day:
- Low-carb diet: Allows more flexibility, recommending 20-120 grams of carbohydrates daily. The low-carb diet is also less strict than the keto diet, and weight loss is possibly slower.
- Keto diet: Restrictions are more severe. It is limited to around 20-50 grams of carbohydrates daily on the keto diet.
Carbohydrate intake is very low on the keto diet, making you more likely to enter ketosis. During ketosis, the body burns fat for energy instead of sugar. Because of this, the keto diet is often linked to rapid weight loss.
However, decreasing carbohydrate intake to any degree has short-term benefits, including appetite control, boosted energy levels, and weight loss. More research is still needed to better understand these diets’ effect on long-term health.
When deciding between a low-carb diet and the keto diet, consider what’s best for your needs. Think about how easy the diet is to maintain, how it works with your lifestyle, and how it can support your health.
If you’re looking to lose weight as fast as possible and are willing to follow a strict diet, keto may be the better choice.
However, if you need more wiggle room, a low-carb diet may be more appropriate than the keto diet. A low-carb diet allows you to eat more carbohydrates, giving you daily flexibility.
In either case, talk to your doctor before decreasing your carbohydrate intake—they can help you determine how many carbohydrates you need for your body to function properly.
This is crucial, as there are some health risks associated with following very restrictive diets. Decreasing your carbohydrate intake—especially to the extent keto requires—can put you at risk for nutrient deficiencies. Those prone to low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalances, and digestive issues should carefully consider carbohydrate restriction.
A low-carb diet will look different for everyone, and people try it for different reasons. It typically restricts foods like bread, pasta, rice, and sugary snacks entirely or portion sizes and focuses on eating more protein, such as meat, eggs, and fish, and healthy fats, like avocados and nuts.
You can eat whatever carbohydrates you like if they fall within the target range of 20-120 grams. The body burns fat instead of sugar for energy when eating fewer carbohydrates.
Restricting your carbohydrates can support weight management and may help balance your energy levels throughout the day.
Other benefits of a low-carb diet may include:
- Balanced blood sugar levels
- Lower feelings of hunger
- Fewer food cravings
- Improved cholesterol levels
The keto diet is very low-carb, limiting carb intake to as few as 20 grams per day. Most people eat around 50 grams daily. To understand how extreme that restriction is, research shows the brain needs around 120 grams of carbohydrates daily for brain function.
When eating so few carbohydrates, the body is likely to enter ketosis. During ketosis, the body breaks down fat into ketones and uses them for fuel.
The body makes ketones when it doesn’t have enough glucose (sugar) for energy. This can happen when insulin (a hormone that lowers sugar) is low during fasting, very low-carbohydrate diets, prolonged exercise, or uncontrolled diabetes.
The keto diet allows foods like meat, cheese, eggs, and healthy fats. Research shows it offers short-term success for weight management and blood sugar control. Other potential benefits of the keto diet may include improved appetite control and fewer food cravings.
Long-term effects are questionable compared to its risks, including:
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Bloating
- Muscle loss
- Kidney stones
- Heart disease
- Cognitive (thinking and processing) difficulties
Low-carb and keto diets can help with weight loss by reducing daily carbohydrate intake. Decreased carbohydrate intake makes your body more likely to burn fat fast, control blood sugar better, and lower cholesterol levels.
It’s important to remember these diets can:
- Cause harmful side effects: Common side effects of decreasing carbohydrate intake may include fatigue, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, and mental fog. The keto diet can cause the “keto flu,” which can also include headaches, dizziness, digestive discomfort, decreased energy, feeling faint, and changes in heartbeat.
- Lack fiber: Both diets often don’t have enough fiber, which is important for gastrointestinal health (the health of the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, and rectum). You may notice changes in your digestion after reducing your carbohydrates.
- Limit food variety: These diets can lack certain vitamins and minerals, leading to long-term nutrient deficiencies. Eating various food types is important to make sure you get all the nutrients the body needs.
Consider talking with a doctor or nutritionist before starting a low-carb or keto diet. A nutritionist is a healthcare professional who specializes in nutrition and diet. They can offer guidance on nutrition needs and discuss how carbohydrates play a role in meeting your health goals.
