Every year, millions of Americans embark on diets for a variety of reasons, such as wanting to feel better about themselves or managing a health issue. You may be wondering, as you start to go through the seemingly never-ending list of diets available online, “Is this one really healthy for me?”

The low-glycemic diet and the low-carb diet are two popular diets that are sometimes confused with one another despite the large number of research papers on them. Although they both seek to promote health, each has a distinct set of characteristics.

The Low-Glycemic Diet: What Is It?

Your most recent HbA1c, or three-month average of your blood sugar levels according to MedlinePlus, may have creeped up to dangerous levels during your most recent yearly visit, at which point your doctor may have urged you to start “watching your carb intake.” After some investigation, you learn about the low-glycemic diet.

The low-glycemic diet emphasizes selecting low-glycemic items over high-glycemic ones, but it does not call for cutting back on carbohydrates (yeah!). Every food that has carbohydrates, such as cookies, apples, and bowls of pasta salad, is assigned a number on the glycemic index between 0 and 100.

Foods that have a GI of 55 or below are mostly classified as fruits, vegetables, beans, yogurt, and nuts. Since they are considered low-glycemic foods, you can incorporate them into your diet on a regular basis. Conversely, foods having a GI of 70 or greater are considered to have a high GI index. These items include white bread, white rice, baked products, and several cereals.

Foods with a high GI index should be consumed in moderation since, according to the Glycemic Index Foundation, they can boost your blood sugar and then drop it quickly. A food with a low GI index can help you maintain stable blood sugar levels, which can aid in weight loss, increase energy levels, and lower your chance of developing diabetes and other health issues.

But there are drawbacks to this strategy. One reason is that certain really nutritious foods have a high glycemic index, and the diet does not consider a food in its whole. For instance, watermelon has a GI of 70, but despite this, it’s a fruit that’s strong in water content, antioxidants, and low in total calories, making it an excellent option for many healthy eating patterns, according to most nutritionists. Second, portion sizes are emphasized heavily in the low-glycemic diet, although they are susceptible to interpretation. Lastly, not every item is included in the GI index, so if your favorite dish is not featured, you may not know where to start.

The Low-Carb Diet: What Is It?

A low-carb diet is one that sets a daily limit on the amount of carbohydrates you can consume. Because of its growing popularity, there are other varieties of the low-carb diet, including the Whole 30, Atkins, and South Beach diets, each of which has its own set of guidelines but nevertheless emphasizes a low-carb intake.

Generally speaking, a low-carb diet gives you a daily total gram amount to eat or restricts your total carbohydrate intake to a percentage of your total calories. A low-carb diet is defined by the Low-Carbohydrates Diet as consuming less than 130 grams of total carbohydrates or less than 26% of your daily calories from carbohydrates. This diet aims to help control blood sugar levels and aid in weight loss.

That being said, the keto diet is not the same as the low-carb diet. Less than 10% of total calories or 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day—barely enough to consume a banana—come from carbohydrates in the ketogenic diet. Nonetheless, at EatingWell, we advise against consuming less than 120 grams of carbohydrates per day or less than 40% of your calories from carbohydrates.If you drastically cut back on your carb intake, you might not get enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber from foods high in carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Furthermore, overindulging in several items that are commonly advised on keto diets, such bacon, butter, or full-fat cheese, may have a negative impact on digestive and cardiac health over term.

When compared to other diets, the low-glycemic diet has been shown to be beneficial for controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, especially for those who have diabetes or are at risk for it. A 2019 meta-analysis that was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that individuals on a low-glycemic diet experienced reductions in their fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HbA1c when compared to those on other diets. A different 2022 meta-analysis published in Nutrients discovered that the low-glycemic diet was equally successful in lowering blood sugar and marginally decreasing body mass.

Conversely, the low-carb diet has been promoted as a means of losing weight. However, in contrast to a low-fat diet, there wasn’t much variation in the individuals’ outcomes, as per a 2022 meta-analysis published in Frontiers. Additionally, when comparing the health advantages (such as blood sugar or cholesterol levels) of low-fat and low-carb diets side by side, researchers found no differences. A very low-carb diet may also make you feel depressed. According to a 2023 meta-analysis that was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, those who followed a low-carb diet with an intake of less than 26% of total calories saw a substantial increase in anxiety.The low-carb and extremely low-carb diets, like the ketogenic diet, were ranked very last on the American Heart Association’s list of diets that support heart health.

The Final Word

A low-carb diet may not be as beneficial to health as a low-glycemic index diet, per current studies. Although both low-carb and low-glycemic diets have the ability to help people lose weight, the low-glycemic diet is less restrictive and has more benefits in decreasing cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Furthermore, a very low-carb diet has not been demonstrated to improve heart health, may have an adverse effect on mood, and is not a long-term sustainable diet.

The low-glycemic diet may not be suitable for everyone, even though it may benefit some. Diets include drawbacks and restrictions. Furthermore, something that might suit you might not suit someone else. Nutrition is individualized; before beginning any kind of meal plan, it is important to take into account each person’s specific needs, medical history, food preferences, and goals. It is always advisable to speak with a licensed dietitian or nutritionist before beginning any diet or food plan.