This isn’t news. We’ve all grown up hearing things like “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and “eat your vegetables!” So the fact that most fruits and vegetables are good for you isn’t a revelation.
But what is news is just how effective those healthy fruits and vegetables are for helping you to lose weight.
A massive study of 133,468 men and women in the U.S., conducted over 14 years between 1986 and 2010, underscores that the vast majority of fruits and vegetables are both good for you and good for weight loss.
The study, authored by Monica Bertoia of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, provides hard evidence to support the following recommendations and conclusions:
- Adults and children should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day to help them reduce weight and keep the weight from returning.
- Vegetables that are higher in fibre and lower in carbohydrates, like broccoli and Brussel sprouts, lead to more weight loss.
- Starchy vegetables, including corn, peas and potatoes, actually contributed to weight gain.
- Surprisingly, the study attributes more weight loss benefits to fruits than to vegetables.
- Weight-loss benefits were most significant from berries, apples, pears, soy, cauliflower and green, leafy, cruciferous vegetables.
More Fruits and Vegetables = More Weight Loss
The Bertoia study also found that increasing the consumption of the beneficial fruits and vegetables also increased weight loss. In other words, the greater portion of the participants’ diets devoted to fruits and vegetables, while still getting the right balance of protein, fats and carbs, the more weight they lost.
Can You Lose Weight by Eating More Fruits & Vegetables?
As broad and definitive as this study is, no one should ever expect that they will necessarily get the same results outlined in any study, report or book.
While a high number of participants makes a study’s results more reliable, it’s important to note that the data was self-reported and not clinically-proven.
Never-the-less, considering their health benefits, and the amount of other research that points to the same conclusion, you should at least try to eat more fruits and vegetables within a balanced diet that doesn’t exceed recommended daily calories consumption levels.
If making the adjustment is more difficult than you thought it would be, take it in steps. While the study found that potatoes can lead to weight gain, substituting a baked potato for French fries is a healthy step in the right direction.
The nutrition specialists at your local Herbal One Centre can develop a personalized weight management plan for you, based on your body type, nutrition needs and weight loss goals
Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150922150040.htm