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You can lose weight ‘naturally’ by eating ‘healthy’ carbohydrates, study suggests�
Forget counting calories or running extra miles, a study suggests that making one change in your diet can help you lose weight naturally.
Though a healthy lifestyle with nutritious food and plenty of physical activities are proven effective in shedding pounds, some people lose weight slower than others and there’s a reason for it. However, researchers swear by a dietary change we discuss below.
Healthy carbohydrates enable natural weight loss
As with green and black tea which a dietician calls ‘nature’s Ozempic’, researchers found that a specific type of carbohydrates helps lose weight naturally even when not combined with exercise.
The paper published in the National Library Medicine found that including fiber in your daily diet can help you lose weight.
The participants were made to follow a plant-predominant fiber-rich eating program for 16 weeks in the study conducted between 2017 and 2019. By the end of it, 2,792 of 4,477 participants reduced body weight.
The findings showed 3.28 kgs (7.1 pounds) as the mean weight loss for the group. As compared to other sample groups, people who ate whole fiber-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits experienced greater weight loss. The total fiber composition in their daily diet was about 9.7 grams per serving.
How does fiber help lose weight?
Scientists hope that the findings of their research can be “a part of a lifestyle medicine approach to healthy eating and weight loss.”
American Institute of Cancer Research also highlights the health benefits of fiber in losing weight, which is essential to prevent critical diseases.
Fibers are healthy carbohydrates found in plant foods and there of two types – soluble and insoluble fiber. Even though both fibers have health benefits, it’s the insoluble fiber that helps in weight loss.
When the insoluble fiber mixes with water, it’s said to turn into a gel-like substance, slowing down digestion. This makes you feel full longer and naturally reduces your food intake.
Among cereals, Fiber One has the highest fiber per serving, followed by All-Bran, Shredded Wheat and Oatmeal. Whereas, barley and brown rice are most fibrous among grains.
Other vegetables, fruits and legumes rich in fiber include broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, cooked kidney beans, cooked lima beans, pear, apple, banana and prunes among others.
