From low-fat to paleo, here's what the latest research says about diets' effect on weight and health.
Low-carb
Some research has found that high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diets help people burn more calories than low-fat variants. However, a large study found that such diets increased women's risk of heart disease. The evidence for low-carb is decidedly mixed.
Low-fat
This old standby is not looking that awesome these days. The same study that praised the low-glycemic-index diet found that people on low-fat diets burned the fewest calories of any sampled dieters, and also experienced an increase in potentially unhealthy insulin resistance. Even Dean Ornish, a low-fat pioneer, is now advocating a more mixed approach that's low in processed foods and refined carbs as well as fat.
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Low Glycemic Index
This diet revolves around minimally-processed foods whose carbohydrates digest slowly (like whole barley or bulgur, as opposed to white bread). A 2012 study found that it might have more beneficial effects on metabolism than a low-fat diet, without some of the risks of low-carb. According to the study author, it also might be easier to stick to, because "unlike low-fat and very-low carbohydrate diets, a low-glycemic-index diet doesn't eliminate entire classes of food."
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Dessert With Breakfast
In one study, people who ate a big breakfast with a "dessert," like a doughnut or piece of cake, lost weight and kept it off better than those who ate a more conventional low-carb diet. The researchers think the dessert reduced cravings for sweets later in the day. A caveat: the dessert-with-breakfast diet was still very low-calorie, at just 1,400 a day for women.
Source: thisiswhyyourehuge.com
