Losing Low Carb or Low Fat Less Fat or Less Carbs?

When losing weight, the spirits are different. Either weight loss is tried with a low carb diet that specifically refrains from carbohydrates, or the low fat diet is used, with only small amounts of fat being added. Researchers have been asking for some years which form of diet is most effective.

A recent study was published in the journal 'Cell Metabolism'. The result was clear: With the so-called low-carb method, the subjects were able to lose significantly more weight than with the low-fat variant. But: the participating overweight lost in comparison also less body fat. The low-fat method, however, is exactly the opposite. And the researchers say: "A low carbohydrate diet leads to a higher water loss, the low-fat diet to increased fat loss."

Low Carb or Low Fat? What is more effective? Image: BillionPhotos.com - fotolia

Low Carb - a renunciation of carbohydrates
The idea behind Low Carb is simple. The daily meals mainly consist of vegetables, dairy products, fish and meat, with fats and proteins eaten to compensate for the carbohydrates that are lost.

The study involved 19 people, all of whom were overweight. The male-female ratio was 10 to 9. The average BMI was 35.9. The study participants were all monitored and examined in a clinic. Not only was it possible to take care of the health, but also to make sure that the participants strictly adhered to the dietary rules. In the first part of the study, those willing to lose weight received less carbohydrates and in the second, less fat. The daily calorie intake was always the same. "Our results show that not all calories are the same when it comes to fat loss," says the study leader. Hall.

The results showed that the participants in the low-carb diet lost about 1.85 kilos in the first week, but only 245 grams of fat. In the low-fat diet, the fat loss was 463 grams. The weight loss, however, was only 1.3 kilograms. "We conclude from the results that fat loss is more important than the loss of body weight," the researchers said.

Carbohydrates converted by the body into sugar cause the blood sugar level to rise, leading to increased insulin production. This process inhibits fat burning. The additional feeling of hunger produced by insulin leads to an increased total intake of calories or to an increased calorie intake. So if we reduce the foods that are carbohydrates, the body burns more fat, explains Michael Ristow, professor of energy metabolism at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland.

A study by the Department of Medicine at George Washington University found that people who used a low-fat vegan diet averaged 6.5 kilos, while the conventional group consumed only 3.1 kilograms. Another effect was the positive influence on the development of diabetes mellitus type 2. Overall, it was shown that the energy input was the main factor in influencing the body weight. Whatever diet you choose at the end, it is important that you feel comfortable. (Sb)