According to a study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, following low-carbohydrate diet can have a very positive effect on our metabolic health.
According to the study led by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Nutrition Obesity Research Centre, Older adults with obesity have a very high chance of developing Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Unlike the popular belief, total fat mass is not the main culprit. The study says that deposition of fat in certain areas, such as the abdominal cavity and skeletal muscle, does the maximum damage.
The researchers tried to find if a very low-carbohydrate, or VLCD, high-fat diet would deplete these fat depots and preserve lean mass without intentional caloric restriction in older adults with obesity. This depletion will ultimately improve outcomes related to cardiometabolic diseases, such as insulin sensitivity and the lipid profile.
The researchers found the group which consumed the very low-carbohydrate diet were able to lose more weight than the people who belonged to the control diet group.
Participants were asked to consume at least three eggs per day. This direction was an important part of the VLCD (very low-carbohydrate) prescription.
The study concludes that whole eggs can be incorporated in the diet in a healthy way. without adversely impacting blood cholesterol in older adults,” she said. The primary difference in fat loss between the two groups was from the abdominal cavity and the skeletal muscle depots.
Another important observation mad by the study is related to the lipid profile. It sfound significant improvements in the overall lipid profile that would reflect the decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
VLCD effect on diabetes
- Many health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can be treated with VLCDs
- Older adults in their 70s experiencing obesity should also go for VLCDs
- According to the study, even younger populations can benefit from VLCDs