Low-carb diets are popular because they are more effective for weight loss than traditional low-calorie, low-fat diets. And people often find they are easier to stay on.
But new research shows cutting carbs has other important benefits.
The study comes from Ohio State University. It looked at obese people with metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of conditions that, taken together, increase risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The conditions include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat, and high triglyceride and cholesterol numbers.
It has already been established that low-carb diets are linked to improvement of metabolic syndrome. The researchers wanted to see if that was because the weight loss effects or if there were other factors at work. In other words, does simply losing weight no matter how you do it improve metabolic syndrome? Or is there something else going on when you cut carbs?
The researchers put all 16 subjects on three different diets for a month each…high-carb, medium-carb, and low-carb. They took a two-week break between each diet. The diets were formulated with enough calories to keep the subjects from losing weight.
Nine of the subjects saw their metabolic syndrome reversed on the low-carb diet. Their blood sugar and triglyceride levels dropped. Cholesterol readings also improved on the low carb diet even though it contained 2 ½ times more saturated fat than the high-carb diet.
Three subjects had similar improvements on the medium-carb diet.
Just one subject improved on the high-carb diet.
Professor Jeff Volek was the study’s lead author. He said the research showed that restricting carbs has health benefits that go beyond weight loss.
“Even a modest restriction in carbs is enough to reverse metabolic syndrome in some people,” he said.
Low-Carb Diet Guidelines
Low-carb eating is simple. Follow these guidelines:
- Avoid sugar and starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice, beans, and potatoes.
- Eat meat, fish, eggs, non-starchy vegetables, and natural fats like olive oil and butter.
- Fruits that are high in fiber and low in sugar are OK. They include berries, avocados, grapefruit, kiwis, pears, and watermelon. But avoid fruit juices. They are typically high in sugar..
The most important rule of low-carb eating? Avoid sugary foods and drinks that push insulin higher, especially soda.
You don’t have to count calories or weigh your food. Eat when you’re hungry and until you’re satisfied.
Editor’s Note: Don’t fall for the calorie cutting myth. Calories don’t drive weight gain. Something else does. And it’s easy to control.
Discover more by reading The Weight-Loss-for-Life Protocol. It’s in Independent Healing, the monthly newsletter that deciphers the latest science to bring you unbiased medical information that can transform your health. Find out more HERE.