Low carbohydrate diet study
Are we not losing weight with low carb?
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Many of us consider cutting carbohydrates to be one of the most effective ways to lose weight. But does the low-carb diet really do more than others? Some studies say no.
Paleo, keto, low carb – diets without or at least with significantly fewer carbohydrates have been booming in recent years and, above all, promise great success in losing weight. But can we really lose as much weight as we think by not eating pizza, pasta and the like? One Meta-analysis of 61 studies with a total of almost 7,000 participants could not find any significant advantages of low-carb nutrition – especially not over longer periods of time.
According to studies: Avoiding carbohydrates does not help you lose weight as much as you might think
In the various studies, the researchers compared low-carb diets with other nutritional methods in which healthy carbohydrates are on the menu. Adults were examined, some overweight, some normal weight. Most subjects had good heart health, while some had cardiovascular disease.
The results of the research may surprise some: “People who were on a low-carbohydrate diet for up to two years lost a similar amount of weight as those who were on a balanced, high-carbohydrate diet,” explains Celeste Naude from Stellenbosch University in Cape Town. First author of the analysis.
For so long, we assumed that we would definitely lose weight and maintain our healthy weight if we only consumed a small amount of carbohydrates – mainly from grains. However, the studies could not confirm this, especially over longer periods of time. Overweight people who did not suffer from diabetes were able to lose around a kilo more in a period of between three and eight months than with other diets. For a period of between one and two years, the difference was again less than a kilo.
Low carb: Heart health does not necessarily benefit from it either
But it’s not just when it comes to losing weight that low-carb diets don’t really live up to their promises, as Celeste Naude explains: “The changes in risk factors for heart disease were also seen in people who followed these diets for up to two years , similar.” This applies to people with type 2 diabetes as well as to healthy people.
So if we want to lose weight for health reasons, we should try to do it through methods other than cutting back on carbohydrates, according to the study authors – such as reducing the amount of energy consumed and having an overall healthy and balanced schedule. Above all, it should be fresh, little processed food, lots of fruit and vegetables and enough fiber, especially from whole grain products.
Source used: cochrane.de