Are low carb diets good for women?

Research on over 80,000 women has shown us that diets high in protein and fats might just be pretty good for you. The original food pyramid put meat at the top and carbohydrates at the bottom, suggesting that we should be eating a lot of bread and fewer meats and fats. New research is showing that this pyramid may have gotten it all wrong.

Professionally Reviewed by Charles Li, MD

Carbs vs Proteins vs Fats

Energy Content

Your body can get energy from protein and fat, just like it does from bread and butter.

Gram for gram, protein offers a similar amount of energy as carbs do.

However, some research is starting to suggest that diets rich in plant fats and protein might actually be a lot better for you in some ways.

Comparison of Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats. Proteins provide 4 calories per gram, similar to carbohydrates. Fats have the highest energy density at 9 calories per gram.

Low Carb Diets

Is More Fat Healthy for Women?

Research on over 80,000 women has shown us that diets rich in fats and protein might just be pretty good for you, as long as you get them from plant sources.

The original food pyramid put meat at the top and carbohydrates at the bottom, suggesting that we should be eating a lot of bread and fewer meats and fats.

New research is showing that this pyramid may have gotten it all wrong.

Low Carb diets might just be better than low fat and low protein diets.

One study below found that women who ate the most plant fat showed a significantly lower risk of heart disease.

High plant fat diets correlated with a 25% lower risk of heart disease in women. Animal fat intake correlated with a non-significant decrease in risk.

Data Source

"Our findings suggest that diets lower in carbohydrate and higher in protein and fat are not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in women. When vegetable sources of fat and protein are chosen, these diets may moderately reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. "

Source: Low-Carbohydrate-Diet Score and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women

High Carb Diets

Risks for women

High carb diets, on the other hand, may carry some risks.

Researchers found that women who ate foods with a high glycemic load also had a significantly higher risk of heart disease.

These foods include white bread and white rice.

Plant Proteins

vs. Animal proteins

Another study has similarly found that plant protein may be much healthier for your heart than animal protein.

A study on Japanese Women found that women who ate more plant protein had a significantly lower risk of heart disease compared to those who ate more animal protein.