Weight loss – Fruits & Vegetables

Admin
Nov 1, 2017
3 min read

People in this community especially women will never stop asking about weight loss matters. The dietary guidelines encourage us to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetable to maintain healthy body weight. However, people always asking what kind of fruit or vegetable will promote significant weight loss?

Let’s explore what studies say about the intake of fruit and vegetable on body weight changes.

Surprisingly, current studies published in American Society for Nutrition do not support the claim that increase the consumption of fruit and vegetable will promote weight loss. The study found that increased consumption of fruit and vegetable has no significant effect on preventing or treating weight loss.

On the other hand, scientists revealed that consumption of fruits and vegetables with a higher fiber content or lower glycemic load were inversely associated with weight change over time. The fruits and vegetables that showed to have greater effect on weight changes are as following:

Fruit : Berries, Apples, Grapefruit, Pear

Vegetable :Tofu/Soy, Cauliflowerm Cruciferious, Green leafy vege

Starchy vegetable are found to has positive association with weight change

Possible mechanisms that lead to weight loss include:

High fiber content will promote satiety that help us eat less energy
Low GI foods produce smaller glucose spikes after eating which many decrease sensation of hunger
Low GI foods may increase resting energy expenditure
The presence of polyphenols in fruits and vegetables may promote weight stability by insulin sensitivity , the gut microbiome or the anabolic state of adipose tissue

This study suggested that consumption of high fiber and low glycemic index (GI) fruits and vegetables might help in weight management. Apple, pear, prune, blueberry, strawberry, grape, celery and peppers are commonly associated with less weight gain.

Bottom line: There is no harm to increase the intake of fruit and vegetable. Additionally, increase fruit and vegetable can reduce the risk of all cause mortality especially from cardiovascular disease (threshold level: 5 servings/day).

High intake of fruit and vegetable is not an effective approach for weight loss.

Overall, we should know weight loss is all about the energy balance. With the combination of calories restriction diet and active physical activity, it will help you lost weight. Another concept about weight loss is the concern of “Quality” rather than “Calories” [Nutrient Density Concept].

For more information: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/best-diet-quality-counts/ [The Best Diet: Quality Counts]

References

Bertoia, M.L., Rimm, E.B., Mukamal, K.J., Hu, F.B., Willett, W.C. & Cassidy, A. (2016). Dietary flavonoid intake and weight maintenance: Three prospective cohorts of 124 086 US men and women followed for up to 24 years. BMJ, 352 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i17

Kaiser, K.A., Brown, A.W., Bohan Brown, M.M., Shikany, J.M., Mattes, R.D. & Allison, D.B. (2014). Increased fruit and vegetable intake has no discernible effect on weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Society for Nutrition, 104(1). doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.090548

Kathryn a Kaiser, Andrew W Brown, Michelle M Bohan Brown, James M Shikany, Richard D Mattes, and David B Allison. Increased fruit and vegetable intake has no discernible effect on weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.114.090548