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Intermittent low-carbohydrate diets are more effective in losing weight than standard diets
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Following an intermittent low-carb diet can help you lose weight more effectively and reduce your risk of cancer than other diets, scientists say.
Scientists at University Hospital South Manchester, England, have found that restricting carbohydrates two days a week may be a better dietary approach than standard diets to prevent the risk of breast cancer and some other diseases.
"Losing weight and lowering insulin levels are essential to preventing breast cancer, but these results are difficult to achieve and maintain with standard dietary approaches," said study author Michelle Harvey, RD, a registered dietitian and nutritionist.
Harvey and colleagues compared three diets over four months to study their effects on weight loss and breast cancer risk markers in the blood among 115 women with a family history of breast cancer. The researchers randomly assigned patients to one of the diets:
- low-carb diet with calorie restriction for two days a week;
- low-carb diet "on the fly" - women were allowed to eat unlimited amounts of protein and unsaturated fats such as lean meat, olives and nuts for two days a week,
- Standard Mediterranean diet - daily calorie restriction for seven days a week.
The results of the study showed that the intermittent low-carbohydrate diet was more effective than the standard Mediterranean diet in reducing weight, body fat, and insulin resistance. The average weight loss was about 4 kilograms with the intermittent approach, compared to 2.4 kilograms with the standard diet. Insulin resistance was reduced by 22% with the intermittent low-carbohydrate diet, 14% with the ad lib diet, and 4% with the standard Mediterranean diet.
"Interestingly, a carbohydrate-only diet with normal protein and fat intake was found to be as effective as intermittent low-carbohydrate dieting," Harvey said.
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