In a review of recent research published by The New England Journal of Medicine1 a diet high in fat and reduced carbohydrates was shown to increase weight loss faster than traditional diets. Participants of this study maintained their weight loss equally in the long term as compared to their study cohorts. Since losing weight and maintaining weight loss is such a struggle for many people, this study and its results were highly anticipated.
Lose More Weight With Low Carbohydrate Diets
The study published in The New England Journal of Medicine and conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers included a randomized group of obese men and women. The subjects on the low-carbohydrate diet lost more weight than the control group in the initial three- and six-month period. In fact, this group lost 4 percent more than the traditional diet group. For initial weight loss, this study shows that participants who followed the high-fat diet had a significant difference in weight loss.
Additional Benefits
An unexpected benefit that researchers found was that participants in the high-fat diet had reduced triglycerides, fewer LDL levels and an overall higher satisfaction score with the diet they were on. High triglycerides are dangerous for heart health, therefore lower levels in this study group are exciting for followers of ketogenic diets who have been repeatedly told that their diets are not healthy. Participants in this study were asked to adhere to a diet that included healthy high-fat, low-carbohydrate foods. Some examples of these foods include:
- Fish
- Chicken
- Beef
- Pork
- Eggs
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Coconut Oil
- Nut Butter
Maintaining Weight Loss
In this study, the results demonstrated that the low-carbohydrate diet followed by participants helped reduce weight faster than a traditional diet, reduced risk factors for coronary heart disease, and participants maintained their weight equally to the traditional diet test group. Not only did members of the high-fat group lose weight faster, they experienced additional health benefits with lowered triglycerides and maintained their weight loss.
In conclusion, the study suggests that longer-term studies could help determine whether the decrease in serum triglyceride concentrates would continue long term and whether participants who were more supervised during the study could have additional benefits. Although an overall conclusion of the benefits of a high-fat, low-carb diet was not able to be established, the results of this study are promising and show specific health benefits for immediate weight loss as well as ongoing weight maintenance.
Maintaining weight loss continues to be an issue of importance to dieters. With a ketogenic diet, initial weight loss and health benefits could offer the benefit of additional motivation to continue with the diet. Conventional diet approaches that push high-carbohydrate diets were shown in this study to be less effective at promoting initial weight loss; this could decrease motivation in dieters to continue with their routines. This exciting research exemplifies a new outlook for those who are trying to lose weight. What is your weight loss experience with a high-fat diet?
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
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