Cut Dietary Carbohydrates to Reduce Body Fat and Disease Risk

Many health-conscious individuals understand that the key to optimal health and well-maintained body weight is achieved by adherence to a reduced carbohydrate diet. Extensive scientific evidence now exists to show that elimination of refined carbs, wheat products and sugar help the body to properly regulate abdominal fat stores and significantly lower chronic disease risks to extend lifespan.

The result of a study provided to the Endocrine Society conference in Boston explains that even a modest reduction in carbohydrate-rich foods promotes the loss of deep belly fat and can reduce the risk of developing Type II diabetes, stroke and coronary artery disease.

Low Carbohydrate Diet Lowers Abdominal Fat Stores

The study included 69 overweight but otherwise healthy men and women. Participants were broken into two groups and were fed either a calorie-controlled low-fat (higher carbohydrate) diet or a low-carb (higher fat) diet, each for an eight week period. The diet for the initial eight-week period consisted of a normal weight-maintenance intervention, while the second interval lowered the calories consumed by 1,000 calories per day.

Researchers measured the participants deep abdominal fat at the beginning and end of each dietary phase using computed tomography (CT) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans. Based on the result of these tests, researchers were able to determine that participants consuming the carbohydrate-restricted diet had 11% less deep abdominal fat than the group eating the standard diet.

Interestingly, researchers found that ethnic diversity plays an important role as white participants lost more belly fat than those of other racial backgrounds. The scientists believe this is due to the higher fat concentrations seen in whites, and they benefit most from the loss of abdominal fat.

Reduced Calorie, Low-Carb Diet Significantly Lowers Chronic Disease Risks

Due to the reduction of calories in the second eight week phase of the study, both groups lost weight. Those following the carb-restricted diet lost 4% more total abdominal fat than the group fed the lower fat, higher carbohydrate diet. Principal study author Dr. Barbara Gower commented on the results, “For individuals willing to go on a weight-loss diet, a modest reduction in carbohydrate-containing foods may help them preferentially lose fat, rather than lean tissue.”

This study provides support for a wealth of other research showing that the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet prescribed by physicians and dieticians over the past several decades is a crucial contributing factor to the overweight and obesity epidemic. This type of diet directly contributes to the proliferation of illnesses including diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Excess visceral body fat dramatically raises the risk of these diseases that are linked to the excessive consumption of carbohydrate rich foods. Participants in the abdominal fat reduction arm of this study consumed 43% of calories from carbohydrates. Carbohydrate food sources included low glycemic offerings such as leafy greens and many types of vegetables and excluded breads, pasta and sweets known to promote overweight, obesity and chronic disease.