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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- When it comes to weight-loss diets, one size does not fit all.
A two-year trial comparing three diets suggests different weight-loss plans work for different people. It also suggests a Mediterranean diet may be a good fit for diabetics.
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Researchers monitored the progress of 322 moderately obese subjects over two years. Most participants, 86 percent to be exact, were male, and 84.6 percent of participants adhered to the diet until the end of the trial. Those on the low-fat diet, which was based on American Heart Association guidelines, aimed for a daily energy intake of 1,500 calories per day for women and 1,800 per day for men, with 30 percent of those calories from fat. Those on the Mediterranean diet aimed to consume the same number of calories as those on the low-fat diet, but with no more than 35 percent of those calories from fat. The added fat sources were olive oil and a handful of nuts. The remaining participants were on the low-carbohydrate diet, which restricted them to no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day for two months and a gradual increase to a maximum of 120 grams per day.
All groups lost weight, but results were best for those on the low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets. Among the 36 patients with diabetes, changes in fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were more favorable among those assigned to the Mediterranean diet than those on the low-fat diet.
"Consumption of monounsaturated fats is thought to improve insulin sensitivity, an effect that may explain the favorable effect of the Mediterranean diet on glucose and insulin levels," study authors wrote.
Researchers said the Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets might be effective alternatives to the low-fat diet for weight loss, and appear to be just as safe.
"Our results suggest that health care professionals might consider more than one dietary approach, according to individual preferences and metabolic needs, as long as the effort is sustained," study authors conclude.
SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, 2008;359:229-241
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