New research shows a high-fat Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil increases weight loss in people with chronic health conditions.
Despite the comÂmon belief that fat is the enemy in the human diet, recent research has shown that a high-fat Mediterranean diet rich in extra virÂgin olive oil can actuÂally outÂperÂform a low-fat diet for weight loss in indiÂvidÂuÂals with chronic health conÂdiÂtions. A study pubÂlished in The Lancet anaÂlyzed 7,447 parÂticÂiÂpants and found that increasÂing fat intake through healthy vegÂetable fats did not lead to weight gain or visÂceral fat accuÂmuÂlaÂtion, highÂlightÂing the imporÂtance of a balÂanced, nutriÂent-dense diet over simÂply focusÂing on caloÂrie restricÂtion.
Fat has long been conÂsidÂered the evil enemy in the human diet. Largely because it has been perÂceived as a causative facÂtor in the growÂing obeÂsity epiÂdemic. Being that it has a higher nutriÂent denÂsity comÂpared to proÂteins and carÂboÂhyÂdrates — one gram fat equatÂing to nine caloÂries, proÂtein and carÂboÂhyÂdrates only four caloÂries per gram — it’s an easy assumpÂtion to make.
In recent years, howÂever, researchers have become aware that a caloÂrie is not a caloÂrie. Meaning, caloÂries from junk food are not going to have the same effect on human bioÂchemÂistry as caloÂries from fruit, vegÂetaÂbles and other nutriÂtious foods, includÂing fats. Despite nutriÂtional knowlÂedge increasÂing, the mainÂstream Western dietary advice is still entrenched with the idea that a low-fat diet is the recÂomÂmended choice for the majorÂity of indiÂvidÂuÂals, parÂticÂuÂlarly when it comes to weight loss.
See Also:Olive Oil Health Benefits
Yet many new studÂies are showÂing that it could quite be the oppoÂsite, espeÂcially when healthy vegÂetable fats — monounÂsatÂuÂrated and polyunÂsatÂuÂrated — make up a large proÂporÂtion of fat conÂsumpÂtion. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has long been conÂsidÂered one of the healthÂiÂest dietary patÂterns, with ample research supÂportÂing its conÂsumpÂtion and the incluÂsion of extra virÂgin olive oil for a wide range of health benÂeÂfits. New research has now shown that a high-fat MedDiet rich inexÂtra virÂgin olive oil outÂperÂforms a low-fat diet for weight loss in a popÂuÂlaÂtion sufÂferÂing chronic health conÂdiÂtions.
An analyÂsis recently pubÂlished in The Lancet of secÂondary outÂcomes from the PREDIMED ranÂdomÂized conÂtrolled trial looked at 7,447 parÂticÂiÂpants, both men and women rangÂing from 55 – 80 years old, 90 perÂcent of which were either overÂweight or obese and had either type 2 diaÂbetes or mulÂtiÂple carÂdioÂvasÂcuÂlar risk facÂtors. The study assessed changes in body weight and waist cirÂcumÂferÂence over the 5‑year trial period and comÂpared three interÂvenÂtions, a MedDiet with EVOO, a MedDiet supÂpleÂmented with nuts, and a conÂtrol (low-fat) diet. There were no restricÂtions or recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtions advised for daily energy/ caloÂrie conÂsumpÂtion or physÂiÂcal activÂity.
Participants in the two MedDiet groups were directed by dietiÂtians to increase their fat intake by 40 perÂcent, while the conÂtrol (low-fat) group was directed to conÂsume no more than 30 perÂcent of their daily energy requireÂments in fat. Though energy restricÂtion was not required, it decreased in all groups with the largest decrease in the conÂtrol (low fat) group. All groups had an averÂage of 40 perÂcent fat intake at baseÂline. Fat intake reduced by 2.6 perÂcent in the conÂtrol (low-fat) group, and increased by 1.8 perÂcent, from monounÂsatÂuÂrated and polyunÂsatÂuÂrated fats, in both MedDiet groups
The results showed the MedDiet+EVOO group lost 0.88 kg comÂpared to 0.60 kg in the conÂtrol group and 0.40 kg in the MedDiet+nuts group. Waist cirÂcumÂferÂence increased slightly for all three groups but this was less for both MedDiet groups (0.85 cm in the MedDiet+EVOO and 0.37 cm in the MedDiet+Nuts group), and a greater increase of 1.2 cm in the conÂtrol (low-fat) group.
These results of the analyÂsis highÂlighted the fact that a non-caloÂrie restricted high-fat diet does not increase weight gain or visÂceral fat (belly fat) accuÂmuÂlaÂtion. They furÂther conÂfirm that at a pracÂtiÂcal level, that recÂomÂmendÂing a higher intake of dietary fat within a healthy dietary patÂtern such as a MedDiet does not lead to furÂther health impliÂcaÂtions and can often be an easÂier dietary patÂtern for indiÂvidÂuÂals to susÂtain than a caloÂrie restricted low-fat diet.
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