Can certain fruits and vegetables prevent weight gain?
If you’re looking to lose weight, you may want to eat more blueberries and cauliflower, and cut back on the peas and potatoes. That’s according to a new study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers. A team led by Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, looked at the effects of certain fruits and vegetables on weight loss and weight gain.
The study, “Changes in Intake of Fruits and Vegetables and Weight Change in United States Men and Women Followed for Up to 24 Years: Analysis from Three Prospective Cohort Studies,” was published September 22, 2015 in PLOS Medicine.
Researchers found that while eating more fruit and vegetables overall can promote weight loss, study participants who ate more starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, and peas, tended to gain weight. Those who ate more non-starchy vegetables and fruits—which are higher in fiber and lower in carbohydrates—such as string beans, green leafy vegetables, apples, or pears lost weight. Researchers say that compared to starchy vegetables, these non-starchy foods have lower glycemic loads, producing smaller and fewer blood sugar spikes after they are consumed, which may reduce hunger.
Read the Sunday Morning Herald Article: Specific fruits and vegetables may prevent weight gain, say Harvard researchers
Learn More
Vegetables and Fruits (Nutrition Source)
Five daily servings of fruits and veggies enough for health benefit
