Health benefits and side effects of low carb

By , medical review by

In addition to weight loss, a low-carb or keto diet can potentially improve your health and quality of life in many ways.

It might sound too good to be true, but diabetes reversal, normalized blood pressure and a reduction in IBS symptoms are some of the most common benefits people see, simply by changing their way of eating.

We primarily focus on conditions where a low-carb or keto diet has been proven to be hugely beneficial and on the side effects that can occur due to it.

Weight loss

The main reason most people start to eat a low-carb diet is that they want to lose weight. People often say that they have tried a lot of different diets and exercises but nothing has worked. At least not for more than a couple of month.

The main reason a low-carb diet is successful for a lot of people is that it’s simple and sustainable. It becomes a lifestyle more than a diet because you can enjoy amazing food and don’t need to count calories or go hungry. Here you’ll find everything you need get started.

How to lose weight

Guide Do you have trouble losing weight? Or would you like to lose faster? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our main weight loss guide and get ready for weight loss without hunger.

All weight loss guides

Guide Here you’ll find all of our weight loss guides. For example top 10 tips to lose weight on low carb or keto for women 40+, how to speed up your weight loss with intermittent fasting and much more.

Weight loss stories

Success story Get inspired and motivated by reading stories sent in by people that managed to lose weight by eating a low-carb or keto diet. Maybe other people will read your story here someday?

Videos

Our top videos that will provide you with the inspiration and knowledge you need to lose weight. All videos >

My success story with Kenneth Russell
02:52
When Kenneth turned 50, he realized that he wouldn't make it to 60 the way he was going.
My success story with Chuck Hicks
02:39
At nearly 500 lbs (230 kg) Chuck could barely move at all anymore. It wasn’t until he found a keto diet that thing started to change.
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My success story with Jim Caldwell
02:23
Jim Caldwell has transformed his health and gone from an all-time high at 352 lbs (160 kg) to 170 lbs (77 kg.
Living low carb with Yvonne Lane
05:51
Yvonne used to see all those pictures of people who'd lost so much weight, but sometimes didn't really believe they were real.
Are all calories the same?
20:04
Are all calories created equally – regardless of whether they come from a low-carb, low-fat or a vegan diet?
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Diet Doctor Podcast #35 with Ben Bikman, PhD
00:00
Why is insulin so important for us to control and why does a ketogenic diet help so many people? Professor Ben Bikman has studied these questions in his lab for years and he is one of the foremost authorities on the subject.
Pie-making champion goes low carb
03:23
Learn how this pie-making champion went low carb and how it changed his life.
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"It was so incredibly easy!"
16:53
In this interview Stephen Bennett shares what he has learned from his low-carb journey.

Diabetes

Since insulin release goes hand in hand with eating carbs, diabetes can be drastically improved by switching to a strict low-carb diet (keto). Here you’ll find all the information and inspiration you need to succeed.

Type 2 diabetes: How you could possibly reverse your diabetes

Guide Do you have type 2 diabetes, or are you at risk for diabetes? Then you’ve come to the right place. You can normalize your blood sugar without pills, calorie counting or hunger.

man testing glucose level with a digital glucometer, diabetes treatment

Type 1 diabetes: Learn how to control your blood sugar

Guide Many people experience that a reduced amount of carbs in the diet makes it easier to keep blood sugar stable. In this guide you learn how to control your blood sugar in a safe and healthy way.

Pregnant Woman Having Blood Glucose Checked

Gestational diabetes in pregnancy

Guide When Natalie Thompson Cooper was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in her first pregnancy she was very concerned. This happened when she discovered the keto diet.

Life changing stories

Success story Get inspired and motivated by reading stories sent in by people that managed to improve and even in some cases reverse their diabetes by eating a low-carb or keto diet.

Videos

Our top selection of videos on diabetes – both type 1 and type 2 – and on how people with diabetes can revolutionize their health. All videos >

My low-carb story with Marc Gossange
03:01
After living somewhat of a high-carb life and then living in France for a few years enjoying croissants and freshly baked baguettes, Marc was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
My success story with Kenneth Russell
02:52
When Kenneth turned 50, he realized that he wouldn't make it to 60 the way he was going.
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A low-carb story with Dr. Sanjeev Balakrishnan
01:59
How can you as a doctor treat patients with type 2 diabetes? Dr. Sanjeev Balakrishnan learned the answer to this question seven years ago. Check out this video for all the details!
Can low carb make it fun to be a doctor?
36:47
Dr. Unwin about getting his patients off medications and making a true difference in their lives using low carb.
How to avoid complications of type 1 diabetes
37:28
Why are the recommendations to people with diabetes to eat a high-carb diet a bad idea? And what is the alternative?
Living low carb with Chris Hannaway
08:19
What does living low carb look like? Chris Hannaway shares his success story, takes us for a spin in the gym and orders food at the local pub.
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How to help patients reverse type 2 diabetes
27:43
How exactly do you as a doctor help patients reverse their type 2 diabetes?
Living low carb with Yvonne Lane
05:51
Yvonne used to see all those pictures of people who'd lost so much weight, but sometimes didn't really believe they were real.
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What's it like being a low-carb doctor on TV?
17:40
What’s it like working with patients and giving controversial low-carb advice in front of a TV audience?

The brain

There’s no question that a low-carb diet can have a huge affect on weight loss and diabetes. But how about mental health and even brain cancer? Can a change of diet really improve such things? Emerging research — and some dramatic patient stories — suggest it might.

Elena Gross - A Life Without Migraines (FL FEB 2017)

Having issues with migraine?

Video Is it possible to avoid migraines by avoiding carbs? Studies and experience suggest it might be. Watch Elena Gross tell her story about how she gone from severe daily migraines to almost none.

Low carb and mental health

NewsEating a low-carbohydrate whole-foods diet appears to be a powerful strategy for improving a number of health conditions. Could this same nutritional strategy benefit the brain as well?

How does the keto diet affect ADHD and autism?

Can changing to a ketogenic diet help improve symptoms, social interactions, or behavior? Learn why it could work and read stories from families that have tried it.

Treating Alzheimer’s with ketones?

Alzheimer’s disease and other related neurodegenerative conditions, which impact memory, behavior and decision-making, are now an epidemic hitting all Western societies. Read what happened when Anne Mullens elderly parents tried the keto diet.

Ketogenic diet for mental health

Success story Come for the weight loss, stay for the mental health benefits? Read what happened when Ole Jørgen Hessen combined the ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting.

Sugar addiction

Are you struggling with cravings for food or sweets? Many, many people are. In this video course, sugar-addiction expert Bitten Jonsson, RN, presents insights and advice on how to stop food and sugar cravings. All videos >

Sugar addiction 2: how to free yourself
18:51
What steps should you take to free yourself from sugar addiction? Sugar-addiction expert Bitten Jonsson answers.
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What is sugar addiction?
13:12
What is sugar addiction – and how can you know whether you suffer from it? Sugar-addiction expert Bitten Jonsson answers.
One day in a sugar addict's life
05:09
What does a typical day look like for a sugar addict?
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Being a sugar addict
15:37
Do you know what it’s like to be addicted to sugar and sweet foods? Annika Strandberg, a sugar addict, answers.
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Podcast #19 — Dr. Robert Cywes
55:25
Dr. Robert Cywes is an expert at weight loss surgeries. If you or a loved one is thinking about bariatric surgery or struggling with weight loss, this episode is for you.
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Other health guides

Improve your IBS symptoms

Guide At least 15 % of the general population are estimated to suffer from IBS. The key defining symptoms are abdominal bloating, pain, diarrhea and/or constipation. The good news is that a variety of subtle changes may underlie the development of IBS.

Normalize your blood pressure

Guide Almost a third of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of serious conditions such as strokes and heart attacks. The good news is that you can improve your blood pressure with simple lifestyle changes.

How keto can help women with PCOS

Guide Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is common, affecting up to 10% of women of childbearing age. Beyond menstrual problems and other physical symptoms, it’s a leading cause of infertility. For a lot of women, a low-carb diet have been proven very successful.

Want to improve your skin quality?

Guide Except for losing weight, achieve better blood sugar control, and/or lower their blood pressure. Some individuals may also experience an unexpected bonus: improvement in skin quality, including a decrease in the frequency and severity of acne.

Cholesterol

Are you worried about your cholesterol? Learn more about the latest science by watching our presentations, interviews and movies All videos >

The cholesterol network system
22:24
Can you drastically lower your cholesterol, by eating MORE fat?
What about cholesterol?
04:14
Dr. Unwin discusses cholesterol on low carb: common improvements and rare cases when cholesterol increases significantly.
Diet Doctor Podcast #9 — Dr. Ron Krauss
55:25
Dr. Ron Krauss helps us understand the nuances beyond LDL-C and how we can use all the available data to help us better understand what we know and do not know about cholesterol.
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How cholesterol really works – Dave Feldman
29:40
Dave Feldman is a software engineer and an entrepreneur with a passion for lipids. In this presentation, he gives us a detailed overview of cholesterol.
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Why high cholesterol is healthy
30:01
Is high cholesterol and LDL dangerous – or could it actually be protective?
Diet Doctor Podcast #8 – Dave Feldman
56:06
Dave Feldman has done more to call into question the lipid hypothesis of heart disease than practically anyone over the past few decades.
Is high cholesterol dangerous on a low-carb diet?
11:22
What does it mean if some parts of one's lipid profile improve, and some become worse on low carb? Dr. Sarah Hallberg answers this question.
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Diet Doctor Podcast #27 – David Diamond, PhD
1:05:57
Professor David Diamond says you have been misled and deceived when it comes to LDL cholesterol and statins. But he isn't just going to tell you his opinion. He wants to show you the science.
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LCHF and LDL
28:56
Can a low-carb diet be bad for your cholesterol? Dr. Sarah Hallberg at Low Carb Vail 2016
Diet Doctor Podcast #29 – Dr. Spencer Nadolsky
47:49
Dr. Spencer Nadolsky is a bit of an anomaly as he openly wants to explore low carb nutrition, low fat nutrition, multiple forms of exercise, and use it all to help his individual patients.
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Are you a doctor?

Would you like to learn how to treat your patients with real food instead of prescribing more medicines? Here you’ll find stories from doctors that are doing exactly that, practical video courses, information about how to read lab tests, how to handle difficult cases and much more.

Low carb for doctors