In a new study, researchers found that there were some weight loss and health benefits for overweight adults who followed the Mediterranean, Intermittent Fasting and Paleo diets.
They found intermittent fasting—whereby participants limit their energy intake to about 25% of their usual diet (500kcal for women and 600kcal for men) on two self-selected days per week, which led to slightly more weight loss than the other diets.
The amount of weight loss was modest—on average two to four kilograms for the 250 participants, but for those choosing the fasting or Mediterranean diets, strong improvements in blood pressure were also seen.
The Mediterranean diet also improved blood sugar levels.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Otago.
The aim of the study was to examine how effective all three diets were in a “real world” setting, where participants self-selected which diet they wished to follow, without any ongoing support from a dietitian.
The Mediterranean diet encouraged consumption of fruit, vegetables, whole-grain bread and cereals, legumes, nuts, seeds and olive oil with moderate amounts of fish, chicken, eggs, and dairy and red meat once a week or less.
The paleo diet consists of mostly less-processed foods with an emphasis on eating fruit and vegetables, animal proteins, nuts, coconut products, and extra-virgin olive oil.
While “original” Paleo diets strictly exclude all legumes, dairy, and grains, this study used a modified version including some dairy as well as up to one serving daily of legumes and grain-based food.
The team says the evidence shows that for some people the Mediterranean, fasting or paleo (Paleolithic) diets can be “healthful, beneficial ways to eat”.
Like the Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting and paleo diets can also be valid healthy eating approaches—the best diet is the one that includes healthy foods and suits the individual.
The team believes the results of this study are relevant to the thousands of people following self-chosen diets with little supervision and indicates more realistic outcomes.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Melyssa Roy, a Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine.
The study is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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