The main reason for weight gain was not sugar, but foods considered harmless

Another warning for fans of no-carb diets: carbohydrates are necessary and important. However, what kind of carbohydrates you eat is important for losing weight. An analysis of studies conducted over 24-28 years showed that not all carbohydrates are equally beneficial. The most surprising thing scientists have discovered is that eating foods with added sugar is less likely to add extra pounds than eating high-starch carbohydrates such as potatoes and rice! The results of the study were published in The BMJ. Why sugar is not as scary as it is painted, MK found out.

Despite extensive anti-obesity efforts focused on weight loss and prevention, the global obesity epidemic continues to accelerate. For many years, scientists have been looking for effective ways to manage weight. However, understanding the role of carbohydrates in this process remained a mystery for a long time. New research spanning more than two decades has shed light on the complex relationship between carbohydrate intake and weight change. It looked at the effects of different types of carbohydrates on long-term weight management.

A team of researchers led by Yi Wang conducted a study to comprehensively examine the associations between changes in carbohydrate intake and weight change over a four-year interval. The final analysis included approximately 114,000 women and more than 22,000 men.

When looking deeper into carbohydrate sources, it was found that consuming carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables was inversely associated with weight gain (read: leading to weight loss), while consuming refined grains and starchy vegetables such as peas, corn and potatoes was positively associated with weight gain. associated with weight gain (in other words, leads to weight gain). When participants suddenly replaced refined grains, starchy vegetables and sweetened drinks with equal portions of whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables, they gained less weight.

The study found that on average, participants gained 1.5 kg every 4 years, or about 8.8 kg over 24 years. However, a 100 g/day increase in starch or added sugar intake was associated with a 1.5 kg and 0.9 kg increase in weight over four years, respectively. The scientists also highlighted the importance of fiber in the diet: an increase in fiber intake of just 10 grams per day was associated with a 0.8 kg decrease in weight gain over four years, highlighting the importance of including fiber-rich foods in the diet.

In addition, the effect of carbohydrate intake on weight was not the same for all participants: it was more pronounced in people who were overweight or obese. Gender also played a role, with most associations being stronger for women. Scientists have not yet been able to explain the fact that women’s weight is more dependent on carbohydrates.

Bottom line: Not all carbohydrates are created equal when it comes to weight management. For long-term weight control, reduce your intake of sugars, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains and starchy vegetables, while increasing your intake of whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables. “The study thus opens up new possibilities for understanding how carbohydrate choices today can affect weight and health in the future. “This is a reminder that a thoughtful approach to carbohydrates can be the cornerstone of a healthy and happy lifestyle,” the scientists conclude.

Observations of different crops over time have shown that refining grains and increasing sugar intake can significantly contribute to weight gain. “Consumption of added sugar is, of course, associated with weight gain,” says nutritionist Nikolai Rassomakhin. – However, fiber may reduce food intake by promoting satiety or satiety, increasing fat oxidation, reducing fat storage, or altering the microbiome. Just like added sugar and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, they can dampen feelings of fullness and increase energy intake. But starch (mostly from refined grains and starchy vegetables), oddly enough, is somewhat more strongly associated with weight gain than the same amount of added sugar. For example, women and men who increased their intake of whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables simultaneously gained less weight over time, while those who increased their intake of refined grains and starchy vegetables (including French fries and potato chips) gained more weight. The results for starchy vegetables raise concerns about current dietary recommendations to increase consumption of all types of vegetables, especially starchy vegetables.”

“Essentially, the study provides a practical guide for those who want to avoid gaining or lose weight: simply replace refined grains, starchy vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages with whole grains, fruits, and non-starchy vegetables. One of the interesting findings of the authors: starch from refined grains and starchy vegetables is associated with weight gain even more than the same amount of sugar added to foods,” Russian scientists note. And to summarize: starchy vegetables (potatoes, including French fries and potato chips; corn); refined grain products (white bread, white rice, white flour); sugar added to foods. And least of all: fiber (nuts, beans, vegetables and fruits, etc.); whole grain products (buckwheat, brown rice, oatmeal, millet, whole grain bread, barley); fruits and non-starchy vegetables (cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli).

Therefore, recommendations for those who want to lose weight: replace white rice with brown, whole bread with grain, sweetened drinks (soda, packaged juices, etc.) with water or freshly squeezed juices, tea or coffee without added sugar.

…By the way, the myth that added sugar actively contributes to excess weight gain has been debunked more than once. Thus, in 2015, the American Association of Nutritionists, having studied data from many studies conducted around the world, came to the conclusion that the accumulation of fat in the body is not associated with the consumption of sugar, but with a high calorie diet. The second conclusion is this: the effect of sugar on lipid metabolism in the body (that is, on blood cholesterol levels) has not been proven. The third conclusion: there is no convincing evidence linking coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome with sugar consumption.

In addition, the study revealed several paradoxes. The first was called Australian: it turned out that a 10% reduction in sugar consumption in the country had absolutely no effect on the incidence of diabetes.

Another paradox is associated with Norway and Hungary, where the lowest sugar consumption in Europe is recorded – at the level of 7-8% of the diet. So, if in Norway the obesity rate is the lowest in the EU (13%), then in Hungary it is one of the highest (30%). In other words, it has nothing to do with sugar at all.

Doctors note that all types of carbohydrates, with the exception of dietary fiber, are ultimately converted into glucose, which ensures the vital activity of human tissue cells and organs. For the normal functioning of the adult body, 4 to 8 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight are required daily. At the same time, the body does not distinguish carbohydrates by composition – this is an apple, and this is a donut, and this is juice. All these products are absorbed in the form of glucose, which requires 185 grams daily. Calories coming from added sugars should not exceed 10% of your total daily calories. These are the recommendations of both the WHO and the Russian Rospotrebnadzor.