Low-carb Versus Low-fat: What Does Work Better? 

How much fat is high-fat? Read the answer here: The Fat Burning Index

The role of high-fat diets in weight gain and obesity.

Low-carb Versus Low-fat: What Does Work Better?

What was investigated: The role of high-fat diets in weight gain and obesity.

Where: Research Department of Human Nutrition, Frederiksberg, Denmark

Why: Because of inconsistent reports concerning the efficacy of low-fat, unlimited calorie diets to reduce bodyweight.

What was compared: Results of 16 clinical trials lasting more than2 months and involving 1728 dieters. Half of them ate their habitual medium-fatmeals and another half ate reduced fat meals.

What Happened: The difference in weight loss between low-fat and medium-fat groups was 2.55 kg, which was only half of predicted for the study's overage 10% fat reduction.

Conclusion: "[A] low-fat diet, high in protein and fibre-rich carbohydrates, mainly from different vegetables, fruits and whole grains, is highly satiating for fewer calories than fatty foods. This diet composition provides good sources of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and fibre, and may have the most beneficial effect on blood lipids and blood-pressure levels. A reduction in dietary fat without restriction of total energy intake prevents weight gain in subjects of normal weight and produces a weight loss in overweight subjects."

Source: Astrup A, Ryan L, Grunwald GK, Storgaard M, Saris W, Melanson E, Hill JO. The role of dietary fat in body fatness: evidence from a preliminary meta-analysis of ad libitum low-fat dietary intervention studies. Br J Nutr2000 Mar;83 Suppl 1:S25-32

Similar results

Calorie-for-calorie, the high-fat meals at breakfast suppressed food intake at lunch less than did high-carbohydrate breakfasts (Rolls BJ,Kim-HarrisS, Fischman MW, Foltin RW, Moran TH, Stoner SA. Am J Clin Nutr.1995 Jul;62(1):155-7)

Other Opinions

Fat suppressed appetite and food intake more than did same-calorie carbohydrate in both obese and non-obese men (Ian M Chapman,Elizabeth A Goble, Gary AWittert, and Michael Horowitz. Am J Clin Nutr 199969: 6-12)

Carbs turn into body fat. Studies of low fat diets indicated that there can be considerable conversion of carbohydrate from food into body fat (HirschJ, Hudgins LC, Leibel RL, Rosenbaum M. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67(suppl):551S?5S.)

It?s not a high-fat diet's fault. Overeatingon high-fat diets is a consequence of a high calore density rather than fat content itself. Low calorie-dense foods generate greater satiety. Epidemiological studies confirm that overeating occurs as calorie density increases (PoppittSD,PrenticeAM. Appetite 1996 Apr;26(2):153-74)

High-fat low-calorie is as good as same-calorie high-carb.A hypo-caloric high-carbohydrate diet was not associated with more weight loss than a high-fat hypo-caloric diet (Shah M, Garg A. Diabetes Care 1996Oct;19(10):1142-52)

What do you think?

1. What is the best food making you feel full?

2. What type of diet was the best for your weight loss?

3. Did you try low-fat dieting and what happened if you did?

Please copy these questions, answer them, and post here!

Subscribe to be notified on our updates.