In support of a diet high in complex carbohydrates and good fats being the best even for weight management, when a diet very low in carbohydrates (less than 10 percent of calories) and high in protein (more than 20 percent of calories) and fats was compared with a moderate carbohydrate regimen similar to the Okinawan diet, fat loss was similar in both cases.27 However, the low-carbohydrate diet caused a much higher loss of water and proteins, indicating that the seemingly large effect of very low-carb diets on weight loss actually represents loss of water and muscle in addition to fat.
