Opinions on this study on low carbs?

I ran across this scientific study the other day. I have always been of the opinion that weight loss is all about calories, regardless of their source. This article has me head scratching a bit though. Has anyone else read this or know more about it?


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181114120302.htm

Replies

  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I’ll be curious to see the results of the second study being conducted. I know I personally am less bloated when I eat less starchy and grain based carbs. That is bloat though and not fat. I didn’t see any mention of body composition in the link.

    I have my macros very balanced now after getting gallstones when I did LCHF for an extended period. I eat roughly 35% carb, 35% fat, and 30% protein which works for me.
  • hippiesaur
    hippiesaur Posts: 137 Member
    Here is the full study if anyone is interested: https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4583
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited March 2019
    hippiesaur wrote: »
    Here is the full study if anyone is interested: https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4583

    Thanks!

    Can someone explain this energy expenditure part in the Discussion? They've concluded that eating less carbs makes people more active?

    For my n=1, I sure am sluggish after a pint of Ben & Jerry's, but when I was living in a vegetarian yoga community where there were lots of high carb vegan meals I was quite active.

    https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4583

    "...the study shows that dietary quality can affect energy expenditure independently of body weight, a phenomenon that could be key to obesity treatment, as recently reviewed.50

    The difference in total energy expenditure was 209 to 278 kcal/d or about 50 to 70 kcal/d increase for every 10% decrease in the contribution of carbohydrate to total energy intake (1 kcal=4.18 kJ=0.00418 MJ).
  • jak1958
    jak1958 Posts: 82 Member
    Very fascinated by the increase in TDEE (as opposed to effects on weight loss)... particularly in light of controlled protein consumption to minimize thermogenesis. Looking forward to the final study results.

    Thanks for posting!
  • hippiesaur
    hippiesaur Posts: 137 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I don't eat low carb, I can't imagine my TDEE being even higher than it is. That would be a recipe for permanent weight loss since I have a hard time keeping up as is. :o Also my personal experience is the more carbs I have the more energy and active I become. Too much fat makes me feel sluggish and I my workouts suffer.

    When I do strength training I feel like I need more carbs and eat low fat because I don't like the feeling of being stuffed. Somehow I doubt the participants did that kind of exercise... :) Their diet is not detailed but I wonder what they ate to get close to 300 grams of carbs when they wanted to lose weight. If it's from veggies I'm not surprised they didn't want to move more. :D
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    edited March 2019
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    Being overweight is not special to those who's diets are higher in carbs-they're consuming excess calories from all sorts of foods and macros ratios combinations. The typical SAD diet is full of foods higher in fat AND carbs, as well as excess protein.

    My initial comment wasn't meant to single out carbs as the culprit. They are eating in excess, period.
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    I'd also love to see the studies where it shows that most people monitoring their carb intake are active? That seems to be a pretty big assumption?

    I'm not sure on exact studies at this time, but in both the LCHF and keto communities where everyone is "low carb", almost everyone is very active.
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    As a sidenote, the only low carb followers I know in real life are yo-yo dieters that lose/regain weight over and over. They're also not very active. I actually don't know anyone in real life, besides myself, who's been able to maintain their weight loss past a few months. And I eat a higher carb diet. Go figure.

    Exactly, "yo-yo dieters". They are just looking for a quick fix and never stick to anything. They are overweight and lazy, so you cannot use them as an argument.


  • Christismylife
    Christismylife Posts: 93 Member
    I am the OP, but I found this article very helpful from Harvard health blog about the keto diet:

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Interesting read but it doesn't apply to me either. Carbs give me more energy. I was doing moderate carb for a while and was ok but now on 50-60% carbs I am often getting 15000 steps a day and have more energy.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    cathipa wrote: »
    tmpecus78 wrote: »
    I am the OP, but I found this article very helpful from Harvard health blog about the keto diet:

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089
    We also do not know much about its long-term effects, probably because it’s so hard to stick with that people can’t eat this way for a long time.

    This sentence from that article couldn't be further from the truth. While a ketogenic diet can be hard for some people (most people quit after a week or two), it is actually pretty easy to follow, especially in a 2:1 ratio. I can go out to eat pretty much anywhere (besides italian) and adapt and still eat keto. The struggle can be finding options low in fat, as every cook/chef uses oils and butters in almost every dish.

    If keto is high fat why would someone want to low fat options?

    I think he's saying that a low fat diet is harder than keto due to the number of options available. I'm not completely convinced that is correct. Many restaurants that I've been to seem to offer decent low fat options for those who are interested in them (or you can ask for changes to make them lower fat). I was a low fat lacto-ovo vegetarian for a few years in college and I never struggled finding things to eat on the go.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    cathipa wrote: »
    If keto is high fat why would someone want to low fat options?

    I'm sorry for the confusion, I was referring to someone on the low fat diet.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    I think he's saying that a low fat diet is harder than keto due to the number of options available. I'm not completely convinced that is correct. Many restaurants that I've been to seem to offer decent low fat options for those who are interested in them (or you can ask for changes to make them lower fat). I was a low fat lacto-ovo vegetarian for a few years in college and I never struggled finding things to eat on the go.

    Oh i'm by no means saying its impossible, it just can be a struggle at times. That is unless you ask that no oil or butter be used. I have spent many years working in various restaurants and tons of oils and/or butter and sugar is used most cooking.

  • Christismylife
    Christismylife Posts: 93 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    I am the OP, but I found this article very helpful from Harvard health blog about the keto diet:

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089

    Vetting sources is a useful skill. The Harvard Health blog is can be posted to by pretty much anyone. There have been some real doosies posted there over time. Not saying this one is but if I'm going to take info from an article, there a very few publishing locations that I have found to be reliable and evidence based.

    A couple that are evidence based and objective are the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The International Society of Sports Nutrition, Sci-Fit and Weightology are kind of my short list. Beyond that, I would rather depend on reading actual studies and meta-analyses. Vetting those can be important also.

    Thing like participant size and length of time, conditions, measurements, controls, reporting methods all play a role.

    Thank you! This is really useful info.

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    I am the OP, but I found this article very helpful from Harvard health blog about the keto diet:

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089

    Vetting sources is a useful skill. The Harvard Health blog is can be posted to by pretty much anyone. There have been some real doosies posted there over time. Not saying this one is but if I'm going to take info from an article, there a very few publishing locations that I have found to be reliable and evidence based.

    A couple that are evidence based and objective are the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The International Society of Sports Nutrition, Sci-Fit and Weightology are kind of my short list. Beyond that, I would rather depend on reading actual studies and meta-analyses. Vetting those can be important also.

    Thing like participant size and length of time, conditions, measurements, controls, reporting methods all play a role.

    Thank you! This is really useful info.

    You are quite welcome. There is a U.S. government sight PubMed that is a huge databank of studies with an easy to use search function.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    The alternative to keto isn't necessarily a low fat diet...there's a whole middle ground.

    I was comparing eating out on keto vs a low fat diet. No where did I state or mention that low fat was the alternative. Stop assuming thats what I meant.