Low Carb vs. Low Fat – Not Just the Number of Calories



[ad_1]

Not all calories have an immediate effect on our weight

Diets are like sand by the sea and new ones are added every week. Who should follow? In a recent large-scale nutritional study, various diets were observed over a longer period of time to determine which diet is ahead of schedule for weight loss. It also appeared that losing weight was not just about calories. Although all participants received the same number of calories over 20 weeks, a particular group decreased the most.

An American research team from Boston Children's Hospital and Framingham State University has observed and monitored overweight people for 20 weeks while following prescribed diets. During this period, body weight, insulin levels, metabolic hormones and calories burned were measured at regular intervals. He showed that weight loss is more important than the number of calories. The results of this study were recently published in the journal "The BMJ".

What is the best diet for losing weight? American researchers have found that not only the number but also the type of calories consumed were decisive. (Photo: exclusive-design / fotolia.com)

Obesity and obesity – a growing health problem

Overweight and obesity are a growing health problem, not only in America, but also in Germany. Obesity promotes many heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes and depression (see: Obesity can cause depression). Doctors and scientists are desperate for effective methods to counter this phenomenon. Diets are good measures to lose weight, but for many, success is short-lived. A few months later, the weight has returned, sometimes even more than before.

What is the best diet for losing weight?

Which diet is the most effective for lasting weight loss? The US research team answered this question. The researchers compared three diets to a group of obese subjects over a 20-week period. The university has completely provided the nutrients so that all participants receive the same number of calories.

Three diets – same number of calories, different weight loss

The participants were divided into three groups. One group received a diet consisting of 20% carbohydrates, 40% carbohydrates in the second group and 60% carbohydrates in the third group. Although the number of calories was exactly the same in all three groups, participants in the low carbohydrate group had the largest decrease and the longest lasting weight loss.

Calories are not equal to calories

The researchers concluded that calories from carbohydrates resulted in faster fat storage. "Carbohydrates increased insulin levels during the diet and led fat cells to store more calories," said the director of research. med. David Ludwig in a press release about the results of the study. Increased storage would be available for the rest of the body fewer calories. The result: the metabolism slows down and hunger increases, says the nutrition expert. Apart from this condition, rapid weight gain can occur.

Weight loss in the low carb group was significantly higher

As the researchers have documented, the total energy expenditure of the low carbohydrate diet group was highest over the 20 weeks. With the same average weight and caloric intake, participants on a low-carbohydrate diet burned about 250 kilocalories a day more than those with high carbohydrate intake. People who already had high levels of insulin at the beginning of the study were even more dramatic. Here, the low-carb group burned 400 more calories a day.

The carbohydrate insulin model

The study provides evidence that the model called carbohydrate-insulin is suitable for the treatment of obesity. The researchers were able to show that carbohydrate consumption resulted in more insulin release. This promotes the formation of fats, slows metabolism, inhibits satiety and promotes hunger. "Our observations challenge the belief that all calories are the same for the body," says Cara Ebbeling, director of the second study. (Vb)

[ad_2]
Source link