Low GI diet best

The most effective diet for weight loss and cardiovascular health is a high carbohydrate plan based on low glycemic index (GI) foods, according to a study by University of Sydney researchers.

Published in the most recent issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, the 12 week study compared the relative effects on weight loss and cardiovascular risk of low GI and high-protein diets.

Undertaken by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller and Joanna McMillan-Price from the University of Sydney Human Nutrition Unit, the findings show that there is no ‘one diet fits all’ solution, and both high protein and low GI diets will help you to shed fat. However, it did show that a diet containing low GI carbohydrate significantly reduces your risk of heart disease.

The theory behind low GI diets is that rapidly digested, high GI carbohydrates cause fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels, contributing to hunger and preventing the breakdown of fat.

The trial, which was led by Joanna McMillan-Price, enrolled 129 overweight or obese adults and randomly assigned them to one of four reduced calorie, reduced fat diets over a 12 week period. Two of the diets were high-carbohydrate diets and the other two high in protein – one of each had a high GI and the other had a low GI.

Between the two high-carbohydrate diets, lowering the glycemic index doubled fat loss – this effect was strongest in women. ‘Our findings suggest that dietary glycemic load, and not just overall energy intake influences weight loss’ said McMillan-Price.

While the high-protein, high GI diet was equally effective for fat loss as the high carbohydrate, low GI diet, the two had diverse effects on LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. The high protein, high-GI group showed increased levels of LDL cholesterol, while there were significant LDL reductions in those on the high carbohydrate, low-GI diet.

However those on the high-protein, low GI diet did not experience the same rise in total LDL cholesterol suggesting the importance of low GI foods alongside a high protein diet. ‘Diets based on low-glycemic index, whole grain products, tend to be better for the heart, maximising cardiovascular risk reduction – particularly if protein intake is high,’ said McMillan-Price.

Mikibo groups update

We have made a few updates to the Mikibo groups including: adding a groups search box, making group history pages cover the entire history of the group and improving the overall design of the groups. We particularly think the groups search feature will be useful for all those times when people ask a question that has been asked and answered before.

We have also added 4 new groups , which were all requested by the Mikibo community. We now have 10 groups covering a variety of topics related to health and fitness. Our most popular groups remain the weight loss and running groups.

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Calcium Affects Weight

Increased total calcium intake in the form of supplements can help middle-aged adults maintain their weight over a number of years, with particular benefits to women, according to researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

The study looked at relationships between calcium and weight change over an eight-to-12-year period among more than 10,000 men and women in their mid-50s. Previous studies have found connections between calcium intake and people’s body mass index, but those studies focused on calcium in food, not supplements, according to the researchers.

The study examined people’s intakes of dietary calcium, supplemental calcium and total calcium (supplements plus diet) to discover which forms of calcium were associated with weight change. The researchers found “dietary calcium alone had no significant effect on 10-year weight change,” but that women who took calcium supplements saw some improvement.

“Although more evidence from randomized clinical trials is needed before calcium supplements can be recommended specifically for weight loss, this study suggests that calcium supplements taken for other reasons (e.g., prevention of osteoporosis) may have a small beneficial influence on reducing weight gain, particularly among women approaching midlife.”

From the American Dietetic Association

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Welcome to official Mikibo blog. Mikibo is a new health and fitness website located at www.mikibo.com. This is our first blog post. We will be adding our latest news, updates and press releases soon.