Scientists Reveal What Happens When You Switch From a Low-Carb to a High-Carb Diet
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A new study examining the transition from restrictive low-carbohydrate diets to higher-carb eating patterns reveals important distinctions about how different carbohydrate sources affect the body’s inflammatory response. Researchers from NYU Langone Health conducted a controlled feeding experiment with 54 overweight or obese participants who initially followed a very-low-carbohydrate diet until achieving approximately 15 percent weight loss.
After the weight-loss phase, participants were divided into three groups for ten weeks: one continued on low-carb meals, while two groups consumed high-carbohydrate diets with identical macronutrient ratios. The key difference between the high-carb groups was their carbohydrate source—one derived 20 percent of calories from refined grain starches, while the other obtained the same proportion from added sugars. Blood analysis revealed that the starch-based diet triggered significantly higher inflammatory markers, including elevated levels of adipsin and increased activation of immune cells.
The researchers attribute this inflammation to refined grains’ ability to cause rapid blood glucose spikes, which may activate immune system pathways. Interestingly, the high-sugar group showed the lowest immune activation, though scientists caution this should not be interpreted as endorsing sugar consumption. The findings suggest that carbohydrate quality matters substantially when reintroducing these foods after low-carb dieting, with refined starches potentially driving chronic inflammation linked to cardiovascular disease and other health conditions.
The team acknowledges the study’s small sample size and ten-week duration as limitations, noting that longer-term research may reveal additional effects of sustained dietary changes.
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Originally reported by Sciencealert →
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