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Long-Carbohydrate Diets

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In recent years, dietary approaches for long-term weight loss have been a topic of interest. The rise of overweight and obese individuals continues to grow throughout the world. The prevalence of other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and many more are also increasing due to the multifactorial characteristics of increased weight and obesity. There are many questions asking if dietary composition, especially macronutrients, plays a role in decreasing and maintaining weight. The optimal dietary approach for long-term weight loss, when including macronutrient composition, remains unclear. The recommendations for carbohydrates, protein and fats are cited in the Dietary Recommendation Intake (DRI), but to find the …show more content…

The optimal level for carbohydrate consumption and safety has been debated. According to the DRI, on average, the general adult population should be consuming 45-65% of total energy from carbohydrates. Some researchers have been exploring the effect of low carbohydrate diets on long-term weight loss, which contradicts the DRI. Evidence shows that short-term low-carbohydrate diets resulted in rapid weight loss with some benefit on metabolic changes, but there are a lack of findings in long-term studies.1 A different study showed that consuming a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet resulted in greater weight loss than a low glycemic index diet. Carbohydrates are used in the body as the primary source of fuel but since ketogenic diets are low in carbohydrates, fat becomes the main fuel in its place. But these results are uncertain for long-term weight loss because the duration of the study was less than one year.2 In a randomized trial of 148 men and women, individuals were told to consume either a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet. Researchers found that weight loss and risk factors for cardiovascular disease decreased when consuming a low-carbohydrate diet, making this an option for long-term weight …show more content…

Dietary approaches for long-term weight loss have been a topic of interest for the past couple of decades. As the rise of obesity continues, research is focused on macronutrient distribution and the effect it has on an individual’s long-term weight. A diet that may be the most adequate with the information collected could be a moderate protein diet with a low glycemic index and high omega-3 fatty acids and MUFAs. According to the research cited above, this diet seems to work the best for overall weight loss and weight maintenance. Factors that should be considered in long-term weight loss include the difficulty of adherence to dietary patterns resulting in potential for meal replacements, if necessary. Meal replacements and personalized diets might be needed to help increase long-term weight loss due to the different characteristics of each individual. Some individuals may not be able to adhere to a standardized diet because they may have a serious health condition that needs a specialized diet or may be due to the differences in body size and composition. Carbohydrates, protein and fat all play an important role in weight loss but due to lack of long-term studies on these macronutrients, the optimal dietary approach remains

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