News© Institutional Communication, 11/11/2008
A Study Shows that a Vegetable-rich Diet Facilitates Weight Loss and Maintenance
This research project, carried out by Itziar Abete, demonstrates that vegetables help reduce cholesterol and protect against cardiovascular diseases
Itziar Abete.
Photo: Manuel Castells
A researcher of the University of Navarra, Itziar Abete, has shown that a vegetable-rich diet facilitates weight loss and maintenance. In the study, thirty two people volunteered for two different weight-loss diets. This project formed part of Abete’s doctoral dissertation, defended in the School of Pharmacy.
The first of these diets was based on an intake of vegetables four times a week, resulting in a low glycemic index. The body accordingly absorbed carbohydrates at a slower rate which then gave the sensation of satiety. This in turn eased the following of the diet for volunteers and as a result, easier weight loss. The second diet had a higher glycemic index and the volunteers experienced a lesser weight loss. According to Abete, “the most interesting thing was that a year after the experiment, those volunteers who had followed the low glucose diet had maintained the weight loss to a greater extent than the other volunteers.”
The new Ph.D. added that all of this was related to another important effect: “Weight loss resulting from a low glucose diet helped lower energy use; one of the principle disadvantages of following a diet and one of the effects responsible for the regaining of weight.”
The Benefits of Eating Oily Fish
As a complement to the above study, researcher Itziar Abete of the Department of Physiology and Toxicology of the University of Navarra developed a different project with another thirty two volunteers. These patients, who were overweight or obese, added Omega-3 fatty acids coming from oily fish to their normal diet. As Abete explained, “the volunteers consumed oily fish three times a week over the course of two months.” She continued by noting that “this allowed for the discovery that, although the volunteers did not lose weight, their insulin levels lowered, which in turn lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.”
In addition, the level of leptin significantly decreased in those patients who consumed oily fish. Leptin is a hormone secreted by the adipose tissue, and a decrease in leptin gives this tissue a greater sensitivity and control of its functions.
Itziar Abete concluded by saying that “these benefits are especially recommendable for those who suffer from obesity because of the high levels of body fat, which can cause a resistance to insulin and leptin, alter their bodily functions and facilitate cardiovascular problems.”
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