A novel study has identified behaviors and biomarkers crucial for both short- and long-term weight loss.
While strictly adhering to a diet—either healthy low-carb or healthy low-fat—was important for short-term weight loss, maintaining long-term weight loss involved factors like gut bacteria and certain body-produced proteins.
These findings were reported in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
The study’s data was collected from 609 participants who recorded their daily meals for a year while following either a low-fat or low-carb diet consisting mainly of high-quality, minimally processed foods.
Exercise, diet adherence, and calorie intake were tracked by researchers.
The team identified several biomarkers predicting individual success in losing weight and maintaining it long-term.
These include signatures from the gut microbiome, proteins produced by the human body, and levels of exhaled carbon dioxide.
The study revealed that simply reducing calories or exercising wasn’t sufficient to sustain weight loss over a year. Thus, researchers turned their focus to metabolic biomarkers.
They found that specific microbiome ecologies, proteins, and enzymes at the start of the study period—before people began their diets—indicated whether they would succeed at losing weight and keeping it off.
One noteworthy finding involved the ratio of inhaled oxygen to exhaled carbon dioxide, a respiratory quotient, indicating whether carbohydrates or fats were the body’s primary fuel.
Participants with a higher respiratory quotient at the diet’s start lost more weight on a low-carb diet.
This suggests that individual metabolic characteristics could make it harder to lose weight.
For instance, if your body prefers carbs and you’re primarily eating fat, metabolizing and burning those calories becomes much more difficult.
The research emphasizes the role of high-quality, unprocessed foods in successful weight loss.
For instance, low-carb diets should focus on monounsaturated fats—like those from avocados, be rich in vitamins K, C, and E, which are present in vegetables, nuts, olives, and avocados.
On the other hand, low-fat diets should be high in fiber, like in whole grains and beans, and avoid added sugars.
The research team underscores a mindset shift, advocating for a focus on what can be included in the diet rather than exclusions.
The ultimate goal is personalized diets based on information derived from the gut microbiome, proteomic analysis, and respiratory quotient signatures.
However, until such time, attention to the quality of food rather than calorie count is key to effective weight management.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about popular weight loss diets linked to heart disease and cancer, and this exercise has unique benefits for weight loss.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies that green diet can reduce belly fat much better, and newest diabetes drugs may lower body weight and blood sugar.
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
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