In a new study, researchers found that in adults already at a healthy weight, cutting around 300 calories a day can strongly improve heart health.
The calorie reduction can improve levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other markers.
The research was conducted by a team from Duke University.
In the study, the team examined 218 adults under age 50 for two years.
For the first month of the trial, participants ate three meals a day that would cut one-fourth of their daily calories to help train them on the new diet.
They could choose from six different meal plans that accommodated cultural preferences or other needs.
Participants also attended group and individual counseling sessions for the first six months of the trial.
Members of a control group simply continued their usual diet and met with researchers once every six months.
Participants were asked to maintain the 25% calorie reduction for two years. Their ability to do that varied, with the average calorie reduction for all participants being about 12%.
The team found that the people were able to sustain a 10% drop in their weight, 71% of which was fat.
Moreover, there were many improvements in the risk factors for metabolic disease.
After two years, participants also showed a reduction in a biomarker that indicates chronic inflammation which has also been linked to heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline.
The team explains that eating fewer calories than what’s expended may trigger complex metabolic change. It is more than just weight loss.
They believe there’s something about caloric restriction, some mechanism they don’t yet understand that results in these improvements.
They will continue to explore what this metabolic signal or magic molecule might be.
The team also suggests that moderate calorie reduction could cut the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the U.S.
People can easily achieve this by cutting their snack after a meal. For example, 300 calories are six Oreo cookies.
The lead author of the study is William E. Kraus, M.D., a cardiologist and distinguished professor of medicine at Duke.
The study is published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
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