Originally published March 23 2005
Low-carb diets may lead to smaller appetites, study shows
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Researchers say they think they now understand why low carbohydrate diets can be more effective than others: restricting carbohydrates appears to also restrict overall appetites. In a study of 10 people whose eating habits were monitored very closely during a three week hospital stay, scientists discovered that, when the patients ate fewer carbohydrates they also tended to want less food overall.
The small study involved just 10 volunteers who were confined to hospital for three weeks so that every calorie they consumed and expended could be measured.
It revealed that carbohydrates eaten by the volunteers - potatoes, bread and cakes - stimulated their appetite so they ate more of other foods as well.
When the carbs were restricted, consumption of other foods fell as well, even though the volunteers were free to eat anything else they wanted.
Over the three weeks of the study the average daily consumption fell by a third from 3111 calories a day to 2164 calories, when access to potatoes, bread and cakes was restricted.
The volunteers, who were obese and had diabetes, lost 1.6kg on average.
Many claims have been made about the way the Atkins diet disrupts the body's metabolism to encourage weight loss.
"We proved that people lose weight on the Atkins diet because they eat less, not because the carbohydrate calories are treated differently by the body," he said.
"Participants went from an excessive caloric intake to a normal caloric intake for their height and weight when we reduced their carbohydrates.
Overall consumption fell by 1000 calories a day, even though the participants were offered as much protein and fatty foods as they could eat.
The researchers weighed all food, monitored exercise and measured calorie energy intake, expenditure and body water composition and tested blood sugar, cholesterol and hormone levels believed to be involved in appetite regulation.
"All the weight loss was in fat," Professor Boden said.
"It helps to know that carbohydrates make it more difficult to reduce food intake.
So cutting the carbohydrates at least to some extent will help keep down the caloric intake.
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