Category: Weight Loss

After a bad night sleep, don’t follow your nose.

The sense of smell is to blame when, after sleeping poorly, we crave more calorie-dense, high-fat foods.

Our sense of smell is influenced by lack of sleep in two ways.

Firstly by making food smell more delicious to the brain and secondly by influencing the brain about what we decide to eat, a study has found.

The change in decisions is due to a communication breakdown in the part of the brain that receives signals about food.

Dr Thorsten Kahnt, study co-author, explained:

“When you’re sleep deprived, these brain areas may not be getting enough information, and you’re overcompensating by choosing food with a richer energy signal.

But it may also be that these other areas fail to keep tabs on the sharpened signals in the olfactory cortex.

That could also lead to choosing doughnuts and potato chips.”

Previous studies have shown that poor sleep elevates specific endocannabinoids which are naturally produced by the body.

Endocannabinoids are important for the brain responses to odours and food smells.

These compounds are able to reduce anxiety and improve mood, as well as increase food cravings and calorie intake.

Dr Kahnt said:

“We put all this together and asked if changes in food intake after sleep deprivation are related to how the brain responds to food odors, and whether this is due to changes in endocannabinoids.

What makes our brain respond differently that makes us eat differently?”

In this study, participants had 4 weeks good sleep and thereafter they were only allowed to have four hours sleep a night for 4 further weeks.

They were served buffet snacks as well as a controlled menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day after a deprived sleep or good night’s sleep.

Dr Kahnt said:

“We found participants changed their food choices.

After being sleep deprived, they ate food with higher energy density (more calories per gram) like doughnuts, chocolate chip cookies and potato chips.”

Also, one of the endocannabinoid compounds known as 2-OG was increased in participants’ blood serum after the night of poor sleep.

The study revealed that the piriform cortex was encoding smells more strongly in subjects who were sleep deprived.

The piriform cortex is a region in the brain which sends information to another part called the insula, which has a strong influence on decision-making.

It seem poor sleep reduces the communication between the piriform cortex and the insula whereas 2-OG increases it, resulting in a preference for high-calorie foods.

Dr Thorsten said:

“When the piriform cortex does not properly communicate with the insula, then people start eating more energy-dense food.

Our findings suggest that sleep deprivation makes our brain more susceptible to enticing food smells, so maybe it might be worth taking a detour to avoid your local doughnut shop next time you catch a 6 a.m. flight.”

The study was published in the journal eLife (Bhutani et al., 2019).

A nutritionally complete meal replacement to lose weight and ward off obesity.

Replacing meals with high-protein formulated foods could be a potential way to overcome obesity.

A high-protein total diet replacement may provide similar amounts of calories as other low-protein diets but it has metabolic advantages like greater fat loss.

Data from 2016 suggests that about 2 billion of the world’s adult population are overweight and 650 million of these are obese.

Obesity is a leading cause of death due to its associations with the rising incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Therefore, obesity has become a worldwide public health emergency, calling for strategies to fight it.

Formula foods including high-protein diet replacement products sold in the market are attractive options for the overweight population, but do they really keep the weight off?

A study suggests that nutritional plans consisting of high-protein total diet replacements might be the solution against obesity.

High-protein diets can help weight loss by improving lean body mass, increasing energy expenditure, and the feeling of fullness.

Ms Camila Oliveira, the study’s first author, said:

“Considering the prevalence of obesity worldwide and its impact on health, it’s not surprising nutritional strategies such as total diet replacements and high-protein diets are becoming increasingly popular as weight management strategies; however, research around these topics has not kept pace with their growth in popularity.”

For this study, 43 healthy young adults with a normal weight were recruited.

They were divided into a group who received a high-protein total diet replacement and a control group.

Researchers examined the effect of a high-protein total diet replacement on energy metabolism compared to a typical North American diet (the control group).

The high-protein diet contained 40 percent protein, 35 percent carbohydrate, and 25 percent fat.

The control group diet contained 55 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent fat, and 15 percent protein.

Both groups received the same amount of calories for 32 hours and were screened in a metabolic chamber.

The research team found that the high-protein total diet replacement induced higher fat oxidation (fatty acid break down), increased energy expenditure and negative fat balance (fat loss).

The results also suggest that fewer calories alone won’t cause weight loss as both diets contained the same number of calories meaning a higher proportion of protein is the most likely reason for this occurrence.

Professor Carla Prado, study senior author, said:

“Although these results are restricted to a specific population of healthy, normal-weight adults, they can help nutrition scientists and healthcare providers better understand the real physiological effects of a high-protein total diet replacement in humans.

In our opinion, it is imperative to first understand the physiological impact of a high-protein total diet replacement in a healthy population group so that the effects are better translated in individuals with obesity and its related comorbidities.”

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Oliveira et al., 2020).

This small change to diet can have big results.

Foods like fruits, vegetables and beans can help with reducing belly fat and increasing weight loss, studies repeatedly find.

The reason is that they all contain high levels of soluble fibres.

Soluble fibres form a gel-like substance in the gut and this slows down the speed of digestion, making people feel less hungry.

Foods that are high in soluble fibre include:

• Pears
• Barley
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes
• Avocados
• Oats

As little as half a cup of pinto beans, a couple of apples and a cup of green beans each day would be enough to meet the target.

Adding some moderate exercise on top of this and belly fat was reduced by an average of over 7 percent.

Dr Kristen Hairston, the study’s first author:

“We know that a higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease.

Our study found that making a few simple changes can have a big health impact.”

For the study, the progress of 1,114 people was tracked over 5 years.

It emerged that those who increased their soluble fibre intake by 10 grams per day lost 3.7 percent of their belly fat.

Belly fat is the fat that surrounds the vital organs, deep in the belly.

High levels of belly fat are linked to fatty diabetes, liver disease and high blood pressure.

Dr Hairston said:

“There is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fiber and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, although we still don’t know how it works.

Although the fiber-obesity relationship has been extensively studied, the relationship between fiber and specific fat deposits has not.

Our study is valuable because it provides specific information on how dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, may affect weight accumulation through abdominal fat deposits.”

Another method by which soluble fibres can influence belly fat is that they form short-chain fatty acids in the stomach.

These decrease the storage of fat in the body and increase the rate at which the body burns fat.

The study was published in the journal Obesity (Hairston et al., 2011).

Inulin is a type of soluble fibre that can potentially aid weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness and reducing overall calorie intake.

Taking certain supplements has been shown by research to increase weight loss.

Inulin, a natural fibre available as a supplement, can even quadruple weight loss, one study has found.

Inulin is a fibre found naturally in many foods, including leeks, wheat, onions, bananas and asparagus.

The natural fibre works by reducing appetite.

It has a creamy consistency and is sometimes used in the food industry as a substitute for fat.

Inulin is low in calories, high in fibre and it can improve the health of the digestion.

Researchers repeatedly find that an increase in fibre intake can help with weight loss.

A recent study on mice fed them either a high-fat diet on its own or a high-fat diet with a fibre supplement.

After four weeks on this regime, the results showed that inulin — the fibre supplement — reduced obesity resulting from weight gain.

The size of fat cells was also reduced by supplementation with inulin.

Dr. Andrew Gewirtz, study co-author, said:

“We found that manipulating dietary fiber content, particularly by adding fermentable fiber, guards against metabolic syndrome.

This study revealed the specific mechanism used to restore gut health and suppress obesity and metabolic syndrome is the induction of IL-22 expression.

These results contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms that underlie diet-induced obesity and offer insight into how fermentable fibers might promote better health.”

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of problems including excess belly fat, high blood pressure and low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.

Inulin also reduced bad cholesterol levels and helped to keep blood sugar more stable.

The balance of the microbes in the gut was restored by taking inulin.

The study was published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe (Zou et al., 2018).

A few glasses each day can help to increase weight loss by 100 percent.

Drinking three cups of low-fat milk each day can double weight loss, research finds.

Obese and overweight women in the study dropped 10 pounds in 8 weeks when they drank a pint-and-a-half of low-fat milk every day, along with following a diet.

Milk contains both vitamin D and calcium, which have both been linked to weight loss by research.

Around 50 percent of obese people have a calcium deficiency and half of the general population are deficient in vitamin D.

Soy milk also aided weight loss, the research found, but it was not as effective at shedding pounds as the dairy.

The study’s authors write:

“Our results showed that consumption of low-fat milk enhanced the beneficial effect of an energy restricted diet on central and general obesity and therefore a diet rich in dairy calcium could be tried in obese persons.”

One hundred women were included in the study and put on a calorie-controlled diet.

In addition, some were given three servings of low-fat milk, others soy milk and another group just a calcium supplement.

The results showed that those:

• drinking milk lost 10 pounds,
• drinking soy milk lost 8 pounds,
• taking a calcium supplement lost 8.5 pounds,
• in the control group lost 6 pounds.

The study’s authors write:

“The results of this study demonstrated that a low energy
diet (500 kcal/day deficit) for 8 weeks can lead to a significant reduction in weight, BMI [body mass index], waist circumference, WHR [waist-hip ratio], body fat mass and percent body fat.

A modest weight loss in obese individuals (5%-10% of initial body weight) is likely to improve their health in the short term by reducing the severity of comorbidities associated with obesity.

Our findings also indicate that a high milk diet can lead to
a higher reduction in weight, BMI, waist circumference, and
WHR.”

The study was published in the journal Cardiovascular Diseases (Faghih et al., 2019).

The drink may also be protective against type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Drinking a pint of low-fat milk each day could help double weight loss, researchers have found.

The healthy drink has been linked to halving fat and reducing the chance of type 2 diabetes.

Critical nutrients in milk include calcium and vitamin D, both of which have been linked to weight loss.

About 50 percent of people are deficient in vitamin D and around 50 percent of obese people have a calcium deficiency.

Low calcium levels may prompt the brain to increase food intake to get more of this mineral.

Milk may also be protective against type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of problems including excess belly fat, high blood pressure and low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.

Milk can lower levels of insulin — the hormone that helps control blood sugar — between meals.

Dr Michael Yafi, the study’s first author, said:

“Our findings indicate that obese children who consume at least the daily recommended amount of milk may have more favorable sugar handling and this could help guard against metabolic syndrome.

Worryingly, only one in 10 young people in our study were consuming the recommended amount of milk.”

The study included 353 children who were tracked over a two-year period.

Their milk intake, along with blood glucose and other key measures, was assessed.

The results showed that drinking two cups of milk a day — roughly a pint — was linked to lower insulin levels.

Insulin is the hormone that helps stabilise blood sugar levels, with higher levels linked to type 2 diabetes.

Professor Mona Eissa, study co-author, said:

“The link between sugary drinks and childhood obesity is well-documented.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been connected to this.

By contrast, from a preventive perspective, our pilot study suggests that milk intake is not only safe but also may protect against development of metabolic syndrome.”

At least two previous study have linked milk to doubling weight loss.

The study was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna (Yafi et al., 2018).

Study participants lost weight without dieting or making other lifestyle changes.

Taking a vitamin D supplement is repeatedly linked to weight loss by studies.

People taking vitamin D lose weight without dieting or making other lifestyle changes.

Adding in dieting and exercise can help to boost weight loss even more.

One study has shown that people drinking more milk, which contains vitamin D and calcium, can double weight loss.

The new study included 50 overweight and obese women.

Half of them received doses of vitamin D equivalent to almost 10,000 IU per day over six weeks.

The study’s authors write:

“Previous studies had shown that the vitamin D deficiency is more prevalent in obese people and there was an inverse association between vitamin D, body mass index, and weight.”

The other half received a placebo that they were told was vitamin D, but was in fact inert.

The researchers measured people’s weight, waist and hip circumference, cholesterol and other biological markers, before and after supplementation.

The results showed that people taking vitamin D lost 3.5 pounds after taking vitamin D for six weeks.

The study’s authors explain the results:

“The findings of this double-blind clinical trial study in obese and overweight women aged 20–40 years showed that supplementation of the vit D with dozes 50,000 IU/w for 6 weeks reduced significantly the mean BMI [body mass index], weight and on the other hand, it increased significantly the level of vit D in comparison with the control group.”

The average weight loss was around 3.5 pounds in the vitamin D group compared with no change in the control group.

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

Foods that are rich in vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, but most people get their vitamin D from the action of sunlight on the skin.

The study was published in the International Journal of Preventative Medicine (Khosravi et al., 2019).

The drink stimulate the body’s fat-fighting defences.

Drinking coffee can stimulate the body’s fat-fighting defences, research demonstrates.

Coffee helps to activate so-called ‘brown fat’, technically known as brown adipose tissue.

Unlike white fat, which simply stores excess calories, brown fat burns calories when activated (usually by low temperature).

In fact, small amounts of brown fat can burn several hundred calories per day — the same as 30-minutes of exercise.

Brown fat is typically located in the neck and the region above the collarbone.

The body usually only has a couple of ounces of brown fat, which are not visible as it lies deep below the skin.

Professor Michael Symonds, study co-author, explained:

“Brown fat works in a different way to other fat in your body and produces heat by burning sugar and fat, often in response to cold.

Increasing its activity improves blood sugar control as well as improving blood lipid levels and the extra calories burnt help with weight loss.

However, until now, no one has found an acceptable way to stimulate its activity in humans.

This is the first study in humans to show that something like a cup of coffee can have a direct effect on our brown fat functions.”

For the study, researchers examined the effect of caffeine on brown fat.

Thermal imaging showed that caffeine activates the brown fat and starts burning calories more quickly.

Professor Symonds said:

“From our previous work, we knew that brown fat is mainly located in the neck region, so we were able to image someone straight after they had a drink to see if the brown fat got hotter.

The results were positive and we now need to ascertain that caffeine as one of the ingredients in the coffee is acting as the stimulus or if there’s another component helping with the activation of brown fat.

We are currently looking at caffeine supplements to test whether the effect is similar.

Once we have confirmed which component is responsible for this, it could potentially be used as part of a weight management regime or as part of glucose regulation programme to help prevent diabetes.”

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports (Velickovic et al., 2019).