Weight loss possible on high carbohydrate diet: study

A person can lose weight irrespective of whether their diet consisted of high or low carbohydrates, according to the results of a study released this week.

The study was led by University of Stellenbosch senior researcher Celeste Naude.
"Trials show weight loss in the short-term, irrespective of whether the diet is low CHO [Carbohydrate] or balanced in terms of its macronutrient composition," the researchers said.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women and individuals younger than 18 were excluded from the study.
Some widely promoted weight loss diets, such as the Atkins diet, recommended a regimen greatly restricting carbohydrates, with increased protein and unrestricted total and saturated fat intake, the researchers said.

"It is plausible that these low CHO diets could be harmful, especially over the longer term," according to the research.

"We therefore sought to determine whether low CHO diets have any beneficial or harmful effects on weight and cardiovascular risk factors when compared to balanced diets."

University of Cape Town sport scientist Prof. Tim Noakes is one of those who encourages an LCHF diet (low carbohydrate and high fat).

He said the data analysed during the study was not representative of "the real world".

"I agree with their findings but the data they analysed are not representative of the real world," he told Sapa on Thursday.

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"In the real world, the LCHF is the only diet that works. If their diet worked, we would not have an obesity crisis which began immediately after we were told to eat higher carbohydrate diets."

The findings did not attempt to show the benefit of the low carbohydrate diet, which is to reduce hunger, whereas low fat diets increase hunger and as a result are unsustainable in the long term, he said.