Quality of Low-Carb, Low-Fat Diet Affects Heart Disease Risk

MONDAY, June 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The association of low-carbohydrate (LCD) and low-fat diets (LFD) with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk depends on the quality of macronutrients, according to a study presented at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held from May 31 to June 3 in Orlando, Florida.

Zhiyuan Wu, Ph.D., from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues examined the association of LCD and LFD patterns with CHD risk among 43,430 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; 64,164 women in the Nurses” Health Study; and 92,189 women in the Nurses” Health Study II. The associations of LCD and LFD indices with plasma metabolomics profiles were further examined among 1,146 participants in the Lifestyle Validation Study.

A total of 19,407 CHD cases were documented during 5,287,240 person-years of follow-up. The researchers found that per one standard deviation increment of diet scores, the pooled multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of CHD were 1.02, 1.03, 0.98, 1.05, and 0.94 for overall, animal, vegetable, unhealthy, and healthy LCDs, respectively, and were 0.97, 1.04, and 0.94 for overall, unhealthy, and healthy LFDs, respectively. Except for vegetable LCD, there were linear dose-response associations between diet scores and CHD. A distinct impact on plasma lipid species and other metabolites was observed for healthy and unhealthy LCD and LFD patterns. Consistent associations were seen for multi-metabolite scores of LCD and LFD indices with CHD risk.

“Our findings suggest that improving food quality is crucial for improving heart health,” said Wu said in a statement. “Regardless of whether someone follows a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet, emphasizing whole, minimally processed, and plant-based foods and limiting refined grain, sugar, and animal foods, can significantly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

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