With so much data noise especially online, it becomes more difficult to determine which diet is the most ideal. However, one expert decides to settle the dispute between low-fat and low-carb diet. Guess which turns out the winner.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Kevin Hall has been a metabolic researcher for a long time. Like many others, he wanted to know if cutting back on carbohydrates can truly result to weight loss. This is based on the assumption that by regulating the level of insulin or blood glucose, the body can also effectively control the storage and release of fat.
Together with National Institutes of Health, he conducted an experiment participated by 19 men and women who had an average weight of over 230 pounds and were therefore morbidly obese.
The participants were then divided into two groups, both of which underwent two sets of 2-week periods. For 5 days during the first 2 weeks, the participants consumed a uniform and normal but healthy diet. In the following week, half of the group ate a diet that's low in fat while the other had meals low in carbohydrates. In the last set of 2 weeks, the participants then switched their diets.
Whether the participants ate a low-fat or low-carb diet, they lost a good amount of weight. For example, when they lessened their consumption of carbs, they lost an average of 245 grams. However, the loss was more pronounced when they stuck with low fat: at 463 grams, it's almost twice the amount they lost with low carb. In fact, the participants experienced at least 80% weight loss in low fat than in low carb.
Further, using urine and blood cultures, among others, to understand the chemical processes happening in the body, the researcher found out that indeed the low insulin levels can increase burning of fat. However, it may not necessarily mean that fat is shed from the body.