What is the Difference Between Keto and Low Carb Diet

The main difference between keto and low carb diet is that the limiting carbs in the keto diet put the body into ketosis whereas low-carb diet drastically reduces the carbohydrate intake. Furthermore, keto diet and Atkins diet are the two topmost ranked types of low-carb diets.

Keto and low-carb diet are two types of diet plants that follow the concept of carbohydrate restriction. Both are high-fat diets which boost weight loss.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Keto Diet
     – Definition, Facts, Importance
2. What is Low Carb Diet
     – Definition, Facts, Importance
3. What are the Similarities Between Keto and Low Carb Diet
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Keto and Low Carb Diet
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Carbohydrates, High Fat Diets, Keto Diet, Ketogenic Diet, Ketones, Ketosis, Low Carb Diet

What is Keto Diet

Keto diet or ketogenic diet is a type of low-carb diet categorized by its macronutrient ratio. Generally, this type of diet contains 5-10% of carbohydrates, 15-25% protein, and 65-80% fat. Significantly, the amount of carbohydrates in the keto diet is comparatively low, and one can consume under 50 g of carbohydrates per day. Therefore, burning fat becomes the main energy source of the body, putting the body into ketosis. Here, the fat from the diet is first used as the energy source and then the fat deposits are used.

Figure 1: Keto Diet

Since a keto diet can induce fat burning in the body, it is great for losing weight. Fat from the keto diet is not responsible for weight gaining through overeating due to the following reasons:

• Ketones produced during ketosis serve as a major hunger repressor
• Faster metabolism of fat

Furthermore, a keto diet is an ultra low-carb diet which produces ketones as a result of ketosis. It can save blood glucose for the use in the brain.

What is Low Carb Diet

A low-carb diet is a group of diet plans which introduce low carbohydrate intake. However, the amount of carbohydrates consumed in a low-carb diet can be higher than that in a keto diet. One can consume around 75-150 g of carbohydrates per day in a low-carb diet. Therefore, this type of diets is not strong enough to put the body into a full-on ketosis condition. Hence, it only brings the body into a mild ketosis condition. However, during certain times such as during sleeping, during fast or after a tough workout, the body can move to a full-on ketosis condition even with a low-carb diet.

Figure 2: Low Carb Diet

Accordingly, the main importance of a low-carb diet is that one does not need to diligently avoid carbs as in the keto diet. At the end of the day, a low-carb diet will keep your body more relaxed with diet.

Similarities Between Keto and Low Carb Diet

• Keto and low-carb diet are two types of diet plans which follow carbohydrate restriction.
• Both are high-fat diets.
• Both are responsible for boosting weight loss. Also, they are important for maintaining stable energy and blood sugar levels.

Difference Between Keto and Low Carb Diet

Definition

Keto diet refers to a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy, while the low-carb diet refers to diets that restrict carbohydrate consumption. Thus, this is the main difference between keto and low carb diet. 

Correspondence

Keto diet is a type of low-carb diet while low-carb diet is a carbohydrate-restricted diet.

Percentage of Macronutrients

A keto diet contains 5% of carbohydrates, 25% of proteins, and 70% of fat while a low-carb diet contains 20-30% of carbohydrates, 40% of proteins, and 30-40% of fat. Hence, this is a major difference between keto and low carb diet.

Amount of Carbohydrates

Furthermore, one can consume under 50 g of carbohydrates per day in the keto diet while the amount of carbohydrates can vary from 75-150 g per day in a low-carb diet.

Ketosis

Another difference between keto and low carb diet is that the Keto diet puts the body to ketosis while low-carb diet puts the body to mild ketosis.

Importance

Keto diet is important for endurance athletes, for weight loss, and decreasing inflammation while low-carb diet is important for non-endurance athletes and those being relaxed with the diet. So, this is another difference between keto and low carb diet.

Conclusion

Keto diet is a type of very low carbohydrate diet which puts the body to the ketosis. Therefore, it is important in weight loss. On the other hand, a low-carb diet is a type of diet plans which puts the body into mild-ketosis conditions. So, this type of diets is important for being relaxed with the diet. Hence, the main difference between keto and low carb diet is the amount of carbohydrates and the effect of ketosis induced by them.

References:

1. Mawer, R., “The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide to Keto.” Healthline, Healthline Media, Available Here
2. “Low-Carb Diet: Can It Help You Lose Weight?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 29 Aug. 2017, Available Here

Image Courtesy:

1. “food-diet-keto-ketodieta-fitness-3223286” (CCO) via Pixabay
2. “Low-carb” By Telloxi – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia