Olive Oil-Filled Mediterranean Diet Can Help With Weight Loss, Study Says
'Good Fat' Helps in Losing Weight for the Long Term
Dieting is not simply about cutting down calorie intake. A new study by Spain-based researchers, published in the journal Lancet, revealed consuming more "good" fats can be helpful in losing a little weight and lowering cholesterol.
The participants of the study were composed mostly of people who were overweight and had either type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure or were smokers. They were grouped into three groups. The first and second groups were asked to follow an unrestricted Mediterranean diet, which did not include foods and beverages that have been highly associated with long-term weight gain such as fast foods, sweets, butter, red meat/processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages. The said, however, include vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and whole grains. Also, the first group had to cook all the foods using olive oil while the second group had extra nuts on their diet. Meanwhile, the third group were told to avoid all dietary fat.
In a span of three to five years, the first two groups revealed better results in reducing a little weight and keeping the weight off than the third group, who had seen little difference. Also, the second group who consumed more nuts saw the least increase in waist size.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"They don't have caveats with fruits and vegetables but do with fat. And this study shows we should get rid of that fear of fat," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and epidemiologist. "A handful of nuts may be 160 calories, which is more calories than a can of Coke, but that doesn't mean the can of Coke is a better choice."
Low-fat and fat-free foods appeared into the supermarket shelves when people had associated fats to weight gain, lumping together the good and the bad fats. It had led people to consuming artificial ingredients, contributing to the increase in the number of people suffering from obesity.
