Eating a diet with less fat and more carbohydrates could lead to a modest but
significant reduction in body weight.
According to an EU funded study, not so, apart from for the massively overweight
among us.
So concluded researchers in
CARMEN, a European project that examined 400 moderately obese adult volunteers
from Holland, Denmark, UK, Germany and Spain. For six months the study
participants were put on different diets - some followed a diet high in simple
carbohydrates, and others stuck to a diet high in complex carbohydrates. Fat,
protein and carbohydrates are energy nutrients in foods. Of all, carbohydrates
are the most immediate source of 'fuel' for the body. Simple carbohydrates are,
for example, those from sugar, while complex carbohydrates come from pasta,
rice, potatoes and bread.
The group on a simple
carbohydrate diet lost 0.9 kg, while those on a complex carbohydrate diet lost
1.8kg, revealing a relatively small difference between the two. A similar trend
was seen in changes to body fat mass.
However, in a
sub-study with distinctly obese adults, the weight loss was greater. In a
smaller survey, carried out in Cambridge, UK, 46 overweight adults with family
history of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure followed diets with either
complex or simple carbohydrates for six months. In the complex carbohydrate diet
group, participants lost 4.3 kg, while the weight loss was only 0.3 kg in the
simple carbohydrate diet group.
Cereals, fruits, some
vegetables, pasta and rice contain carbohydrates in abundance and a healthy diet
is based on these foods. Among all the energy nutrients, complex carbohydrates
have shown to be the most effective in maintaining fullness after eating, which
may also help in weight control, the researchers report.
Further information about project R-CT95-0809 (CARMEN) can be obtained from the project co-coordinator, Prof. Dr. Ir. Wim H.M. Saris at Maastricht University on +31 43 388 1619.
Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com.
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