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Study: Why Fat Diets Popular in the USA Don't Work

'10.09.2017'

The average American woman, planning to lose weight or change the diet in favor of a healthier, most often buys products with low or zero fat content. New research reports: low-fat (and, moreover, low-fat) diet is ineffective and can even be dangerous. What is the matter?

The popularity of low-fat diets is based on the fact that at first they really bring results - it is achieved by reducing the total caloric intake (in 1 grams of fat 9,3 kcal, whereas in 1 grams of carbohydrates or proteins of the whole 4,1 kcal). But does nutrition benefit the health? Let's see.

An eight-year study that included about 50 000 women, half of whom sat on a low-fat diet, showed that such nutrition did not completely reduce the risk of developing breast and colon cancer, as well as a heart attack. In addition, they have not lost any appreciable number of kilograms.

Another new study, published in August in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reports that sugar - not fat - may be a much more serious problem. What does the low-fat diet? The fact is that the taste of products from which fat is removed is most often made more pronounced due to an excess of sugar. It is even added to savory foods and ready meals — for example, meat, rice, or vegetable stews.

As for fats, the lack of them in the diet leads to serious health problems and affects the appearance. Quality plant and animal fats in moderate amounts are necessary for the body for normal functioning, as well as maintaining the elastic state of the skin, shine and strength of hair and nails. Polyunsaturated fats are most beneficial.

To keep your diet at a healthy level, follow simple rules:

make sure that you have a lot of vegetables in your diet - they should take between a quarter and a half of the plate; add avocados to the menu - the perfect source of vegetable fat;
snack nuts is a valuable source of healthy fats, protein and fiber, in addition, nuts stabilize blood glucose levels;
reduce pure sugar and processed carbohydrates (white rice, white flour bakery products, sweet snacks), replacing them with whole foods - for example, brown rice, spaghetti from durum wheat, whole grain bread;
eat sea fish - the fatter, the better; This is the case when fat is only good.