What’s the One Thing Most Successful Diets Have in Common?
High-protein, keto, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean, carnivore — on the surface, these diets couldn’t look more different. Some reduce carbohydrates, others focus on whole foods and balance, and some simply change when you eat.
This raises an important question: what is it about these diets that actually works?
When you look beneath the surface, a common theme emerges — one that centres around insulin regulation and its downstream effects on appetite, energy balance, and fat storage.
The Common Factor: Insulin Regulation
Insulin is a hormone that plays a central role in how the body stores and uses energy. After eating — particularly carbohydrates — insulin rises to help move nutrients into cells.
When insulin levels are elevated frequently throughout the day, the body is more likely to prioritise energy storage over energy use. Over time, this can contribute to insulin resistance, where the body becomes less responsive to insulin’s effects.
How Different Diets Influence Insulin
Despite their differences, most successful diets reduce insulin exposure in one way or another.
Keto and Low-Carb Diets
By significantly reducing carbohydrate intake, these diets lower insulin demand. This often leads to more stable blood sugar and reduced hunger.
Intermittent Fasting
Fasting creates extended periods where insulin levels fall. These low-insulin windows allow the body to access stored fat more easily.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet focuses on whole, minimally processed foods such as vegetables, fruit, olive oil, fish, and lean proteins. Its high fibre content and lower reliance on refined carbohydrates help support more stable blood sugar levels and reduce large insulin spikes over time.
High-Protein Diet
High-protein diets focus on increasing protein intake to support satiety, muscle maintenance, and metabolic health. Protein is highly filling and has a greater thermic effect than carbohydrates or fats, meaning the body uses more energy to digest it. This often leads to reduced overall calorie intake and fewer blood sugar fluctuations, indirectly supporting better insulin control.
Carnivore Diet
By removing carbohydrates almost entirely, carnivore diets minimise insulin release. Many people also experience reduced appetite due to high protein intake.
Different approaches — but a similar outcome: better insulin regulation and fewer spikes throughout the day.
The Downstream Effects of Managing Insulin
Improving insulin regulation has several important knock-on effects that help explain why these diets work:
- Reduced hunger and cravings – more stable blood sugar leads to fewer energy crashes
- Improved fat utilisation – the body can access stored energy more easily
- Lower calorie intake (naturally) – without needing to track food closely
- More stable energy levels – fewer peaks and crashes throughout the day
Dr Jason Fung, in his best-selling book, The Obesity Code, highlights that while energy balance still determines weight change, these factors strongly influence how easy it is to maintain that balance.
In other words: calories still matter — but insulin and hormones help determine how your body handles those calories.
Why These Diets Often Feel So Different (But Work Similarly)
Although the mechanisms overlap, the experience of each diet can feel very different.
Some people prefer the structure of fasting. Others feel better eating regularly but choosing lower-carb foods. Some thrive on balanced, whole-food approaches like the Mediterranean diet, while others find high-protein approaches more satisfying.
The key is that each approach reduces one or more of the following:
- Frequent eating
- Highly processed foods
- Rapid blood sugar spikes
These changes create a metabolic environment that supports fat loss and better health.
What This Means in Practice
Rather than focusing on which diet is “best”, it’s often more useful to focus on the principles they share:
- Limit constant snacking (particularly high-carb snacks)
- Reduce ultra-processed foods
- Prioritise protein and fibre
- Create periods of lower insulin (e.g. overnight fasting)
- Choose an approach you can sustain long-term
These fundamentals can deliver many of the benefits of popular diets — without needing to follow strict rules or labels.
Are There Any Supplements To Help Manage Insulin?
Yes — for example, Berberine and Chromium Picolinate have been shown to support insulin sensitivity, but supplements should be used alongside a healthy diet.
We’ve also designed a supplement specifically to help with managing insulin and supporting weight loss — Kratox GLP-1.
Final Thoughts
Popular diets may look very different, but they often work for similar reasons. By improving insulin regulation and the downstream effects on appetite, energy, and fat storage, they create the conditions that make weight loss more achievable.
Instead of asking which diet is best, a better question might be: which approach helps you manage insulin, control appetite, and stay consistent?
That’s where long-term results tend to come from.
References:
Fung, J. (2016). The Obesity Code. Greystone Books.
Norton, L. (2021). Energy balance and fat loss. BioLayne.
Hall, K. D. et al. (2019). Energy balance and metabolism. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Panda, S. (2018). The Circadian Code. Rodale Books.