Cut the Carbs and Feel Full Longer?

In the standard American diet, 55% of the daily calories come from carbohydrates: sugars, starches, and fiber. The Atkins Diet spurred the testing of low-carb diets, but it’s been widely rejected, based on some studies showing the approach to be too intensive. A newer tactic has been presented by Professor Barbara Gower, an expert in the field of overweight; it was reported at the Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting this year.

In the study, a control diet (with 55% of calories from carbs) was consumed by 14 adults, who were compared with 16 people on a “moderate-carb diet”, which had 43% carbs and 39% fat (vs. 27% fat in the control diet). Both diets had 18% of calories from protein, because protein can influence the feeling of fullness and secretion of insulin.

After one month, the participants on the moderate carb diet had lower blood insulin levels, more stable blood sugar, and a longer sense of fullness after a meal than those who took the control diet. Dr Gower believes that a longer time feeling full could lead to less snacking and, over the long haul, to lower calorie intake and thus weight loss. Doubtless more trials will be done – larger and more controlled – to test this hypothesis.