Low-calorie diet
What is a low-calorie diet?
To define a low-calorie diet, we need to first understand what a calorie is. A calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Calories in food provide energy in form of heat so that our bodies can function.
The general public consumes between 2,000 to 2,500 calories. So, a low-calorie diet is a diet plan that involves taking between 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day, the very low-calorie diet consists of an intake of at least 600 calories a day.
The low-calorie diet reduces the chance for the body to store calories. Many people count calories and often decrease caloric intake.
Can a low-calorie diet reverse diabetes?
Studies have shown that the low-calorie diet has the potential to reverse diabetes. In a New Castle University study, diabetes patients were recruited for the low-calorie diet.
After two months of consuming a very low-calorie diet of 600 to 700 calories a day consisting of diet shakes and non-starchy vegetables, patients witnessed a significant drop in blood glucose levels.
Some patients who saw their glucose levels return to normal were found to be younger and had diabetes for a short period. Thus, the study saw a 46 percent success rate.
The very low-calorie diet has been shown to have an impact on vital organs such as the liver and pancreas in diabetes patients. While following the diet, drastically reduces fats in these organs.
For instance, the very low-calorie diet was discovered to reduce fat amounts in the pancreas. It was reduced from eight percent to six percent as seen in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans. Eight percent was considered high while six percent is considered the normal range.
What are some of the low-calorie diet foods?
Sources of low-calorie foods include fresh fruits like grapefruit, apples, papaya, lemon, lime, rather than dried fruits such as prunes, currants, raisins, sultanas, to mention a few.
Other sources of low-calorie foods include vegetables like beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, Sukuma wiki (kales), etc.
Why should you seek a doctor’s advice before embarking on a low-calorie diet?
Most of these foods were found to have less than 10 calories per one-cup serving. While many benefits are bound for diabetic patients following low-calorie diets, there are a few downsides of these diets such as fatigue, constipation, and nausea.
Thus, it is always essential to seek medical advice while trying new diets you have never tried before such as the very low-calorie diet. Therefore, for further information about the low-calorie diet, contact our specialists here at Afyacode.