Most people within one or two years regain the weight lost during the diet. This occurs partly due to the adaptation of the body slows down metabolism and less calories burned. A thorough study of the Boston children’s hospital (Boston Childrens Hospital) and the University of Framingham (Framingham State University) found that reducing carbohydrate intake increases the amount of burned calories. According to the findings, published in BMJ, low-carb diets can help to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, making obesity treatment more effective.
Lead authors of the study, David Ludwig (David Ludwig) and Kara Ebeling (Cara Ebbeling), co-Director of the Center for the prevention of obesity in new Balance Boston children’s Department of endocrinology (New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center in Boston Childrens Division of Endocrinology).
This is the largest and longest nutritional study to test the carbohydrate-insulin model, which suggests to think in new ways about the treatment of obesity. According to this model, the processed carbohydrates, which flooded our diets to follow a low-fat era, increased insulin levels, inducing fat cells to store the excess calories. With fewer calories available for the rest of the body, hunger increases and metabolism slows here is the recipe of weight gain. says David Ludwig.
After a thorough telephone survey of potential participants in 1685, there were 234 overweight adults (18 to 65 years, BMI 25 and above), which for 10 weeks was to lose weight by 10-14%. 164 of them reached the target and took part in the main study.
Then participants randomly divided into three groups: a diet high (60% of total calories), moderate (40%) or low (20%) – carbohydrate diet for 20 weeks. Carbs were high quality, in accordance with the recommendations on the use of whole rather than processed grains and minimize sugar.
Food is strictly controlled (fully prepared dishes for the meal); carefully monitored weight of participants was measured by the secretion of insulin, metabolic hormones and overall energy calorie burning.
Total caloric intake was adjusted to hold the lost weight, the goal at this stage was to compare energy costs in different groups. Power consumption was measured by the reference method, double-labeled water.
At the end of the study, the total energy consumption in a low carbohydrate diet was significantly higher (250 kcal per day) compared to high carbohydrate.
If this difference will remain and we have not seen any reduction over the 20 weeks of our study, the effect would have led to a 20-pound [9 kg] weight loss after three years without changing calorie intake, says Kara Abelin, doctor of philosophy.
People with higher insulin secretion at baseline, the difference in calorie expenditure between low – and high-carbohydrate diets was even higher, about 400 kcal per day, which corresponded to the prediction of carbohydrate-insulin model. Ghrelin (a hormone that reduces calorie burning) was significantly lower on a low carbohydrate diet.
Our observations challenge the belief that all calories are the same for the body. Our study did not measure hunger and satiety, but other studies show that low-carbohydrate diets also reduce hunger, which can help with weight loss in the long term, concludes, Ebbeling.
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