Low-carb diets are nothing new.

They have just risen in popularity over the last decade or so.

You've probably heard of some. From the protein-packed, “Atkins Diet” to the new age “Paleo diet” more and more people are looking for ways to improve their health and size down on their waistlines

Studies have shown that a diet consisting of low carbs (like the ones you'll learn about below) show vast improvement among various health markers, such as lowering blood pressure, stabilizing your blood sugar and even lowering HDL cholesterol

But!

Not all low-carb diets are the same and as they say “everyone is different”.

Don't let that stop you from taking a gander and even trying it out for yourself. Forget calorie counting and ignoring your stomach went it's hungry because you want to lose a few pounds; you're doing it all wrong.

Instead take a look at the 3 popular low-carb diet that are, in fact, sweeping the nation:

1. Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It is often referred to as keto.

The goal of a ketogenic diet is to keep carbs so low that the body goes into a metabolic state called ketosis.

When carb intake is very low, insulin levels go way down and the body releases large amounts of fatty acids from its body fat stores.

A lot of these fatty acids are transferred to the liver, which can turn them into ketone bodies.

Ketone bodies, or ketones, are water-soluble molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier and supply energy for the brain.

Instead of running on carbs, the brain starts running largely on ketones. The little glucose still required by the brain can be produced by the body via a process called gluconeogenesis.

Some versions of a ketogenic diet even restrict protein intake, because too much protein may reduce the amount of ketones produced in some people.

A ketogenic diet was traditionally used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children. It may also have benefits for other neurological disorders, and metabolic problems like type 2 diabetes (7, 8, 9, 10).

It has also become popular for fat loss, even among some bodybuilders. It is a very effective diet to lose fat, and tends to cause a major reduction in appetite (11, 12).

A ketogenic diet involves high-protein, high-fat foods. Carbs are generally limited to less than 50 grams per day, and sometimes to less than 20– 30 grams.

A conventional ketogenic diet is referred to as a “standard” ketogenic diet (SKD).

However, there are other variations that involve strategically adding carbs:

Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): Add small amounts of carbs around workouts.
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): Eat a ketogenic diet on most days of the week, but switch to a high-carb diet for 1– 2 days each week.
Here are two incredibly detailed guides about ketogenic diets, one from a fat loss and general health perspective and the other from a muscle gain and performance perspective.

BOTTOM LINE: A ketogenic diet, or keto, involves reducing carbs sufficiently to induce a metabolic state called ketosis. It is a very powerful diet to lose fat, and has powerful benefits for several diseases.

2. Low-Carb Paleo Diet

The paleo diet is currently one of the world's most popular “diets.” This diet involves eating foods that were likely available in the paleolithic era, before the agricultural and industrial revolutions.

According to paleo proponents, humans evolved eating such foods, and returning to the diet of our paleolithic ancestors should improve health.

There are several small studies showing that a paleo diet can cause weight loss, reduce blood sugars and improve risk factors for heart disease (13, 14, 15).

A paleo diet is not low-carb by definition, but in practice it tends to be fairly low in carbs.

It involves eating meats, fish, seafoods, eggs, vegetables, fruits, tubers, nuts and seeds. A strict paleo diet eliminates processed foods, added sugar, grains, legumes and dairy products.

There are several other popular versions of the paleo diet, such as the primal blueprint and the perfect health diet. All of them tend to be much lower in carbs than a typical Western diet.

BOTTOM LINE: The paleo diet involves eating unprocessed foods that were likely available to our paleolithic ancestors. It is not low-carb by definition, but in practice it tends to be low in carbs.

3. The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is the best known low-carb diet plan.

This diet involves reducing all high-carb foods, while eating as much protein and fat as desired.

The diet is split into 4 phases:

Phase 1– Induction: Eat under 20 grams of carbs per day for 2 weeks.
Phase 2– Balancing: Slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables and fruits to your diet.
Phase 3– Fine-tuning: When you get close to your goal weight, add more carbs until weight loss becomes slower.
Phase 4– Maintenance: Eat as many healthy carbs as your body tolerates without gaining back the weight you lost.
The Atkins diet was originally demonized, but modern science has now shown that it is both effective and safe. This diet is still popular today.

BOTTOM LINE: The Atkins diet has been popular for over 4 decades. It is a 4-phase low-carb diet plan that allows eating protein and fat until fullness.