July 3, 2008 – High Carbohydrate Breakfast May Help Lose Weight, Study Finds1 conducted among 94 obese women.
By consuming half the calories allowed in their diet at breakfast, women managed to lose 21.3% of their initial weight after eight months. Those who followed a strict low-carb diet instead had lost only 4.5% of their initial weight.
The study was carried out in obese and inactive women with metabolic syndrome. Half of the participants ate a low-carbohydrate diet of 1,085 calories per day, comprising a total of 17 g of carbohydrate2. The other half ate a 1,240 calorie per day diet, which included 97g of carbohydrates (carbohydrates). Breakfast alone had 610 calories and 58g of carbohydrates. It was made partly of milk, poultry, cheese and wholemeal bread.
After four months, all the women had lost weight; on average 12.7 kg for women who followed the low carbohydrate diet and 9.5 kg for those who had a heavy breakfast. Then, four months later, the trend reversed: Women who followed the low-carbohydrate diet gained an average of 8.2 kg, while those who ate a high-carbohydrate breakfast lost weight. average 7.5 kg heavier.
Throughout the study, women who ate a more substantial breakfast reported feeling less hungry, especially in the morning. They also said that they had less desire to consume carbohydrates during the day.
Chocolate for breakfast
Here is an example of a high carbohydrate breakfast the study participants ate in the morning:
- 250 ml low fat milk
- 90 g lean turkey
- 60 g of mozzarella cheese
- 2 slices of wholemeal bread
- 10 ml of fat
The authors of the study also suggest that women with a sweet tooth eat 30 g of milk chocolate or a candy for breakfast, to avoid a sudden craving for sugar during the day.
According to nutritionist Hélène Baribeau, these results confirm that breakfast should be the meal of the day that contains the most carbohydrates. “Since we have been fasting for several hours, carbohydrates can quickly activate brain functions. In the long run, a good breakfast is more effective for weight loss. This allows you to be full for longer and prevents the urge to eat between meals. “
Although one of the diets followed in this study includes a more substantial breakfast, the two diets remain rather low in carbohydrates, remarks Hélène Baribeau. “A person who wants to maintain a healthy weight without losing weight should normally consume 200g to 250g of carbohydrate per day. Diets that are too severe and especially too low in carbohydrates are usually not successful in losing weight in the long term, ”she explains.
Emmanuelle Bergeron – PasseportSanté.net
According to Globe and Mail and BBC
1. D Jakubowicz, D Mom, et al. Effect of Diet with High Carbohydrate and Protein Breakfast on Weight Loss and Appetite in Obese Women with Metabolic Syndrome. Study presented as part of the Endocrine Society’s 90th annualmeeting in June 2008 in San Francisco.
2. The 1,085 calorie per day diet contained 17 g of carbohydrate, 51 g of protein and 78 g of fat. The 1,240-calorie-per-day diet contained 97g of carbohydrate, 93g of protein, and 46g of fat.
