For weight loss, the quality of the food more important than the calories

Photo archives Agence QMI, Eric Bolte

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Sunday, 25 February 2018 13:55

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Sunday, 25 February 2018 13:58

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Cut down on added sugars and processed foods would lose all also effectively the weight by adopting a diet that is based on the number of calories ingested, suggests a study conducted at Stanford University in California.

According to the researchers, replace foods with highly processed and sweets, such as pastries and bakery products, fruits, vegetables and whole foods allow you to lose weight, and this is without even having to worry about the number of calories.

To achieve this result, the authors of the study have submitted 609 people between the ages of 18 to 50 years for a year at a low sugar diet or a low fat diet. In both cases, the guinea pigs experienced dietitians who were to guide in food choices appropriate for their diet, while inviting them to put aside the food highly processed. Participants could, however, eat as much as they wanted.

“We pointed out to the participants of the two groups again and again that we wanted to eat good quality food. […] We said “don’t go buy a brownie low fat just because it is low in fat”,” said the head of the study, Dr. Christopher Gardner, in an interview with the “New York Times”.

The researchers noted no significant difference between the two regimes as to their effectiveness, suggesting that the important thing is to opt for a high-quality food.

The participants who have shown the best results have drastically changed the quality of their food. “They eat in their car or in front of the tv, they cook more at home and eat with the family,” said Dr. Gardner.

“It is time for the United States and the policies of other countries to stop putting the emphasis on the counting of calories,” said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist who specializes in nutrition who has taken notice of the study, in an interview with the “New York Times”.

In addition, the researchers wanted to determine if biological factors could influence the type of diet best suited to a person. The genes of the participants in the study did not, however, seem to have had an impact on the effects of their diet.