#GirlsWhoLoveCarbs
Carbs have had a bad rap for a while now but thanks to science, eating the right sort of carbs could actually help you lose weight.
Before you go thinking this is a carb free-for-all – and if that’s your jam, you do you – it’s actually a specific type of carb which researchers have found helps increase your metabolic rate.
The study, which comes out of Tufts University, shows whole grains and the way we digest them is what affects a metabolic change.
The scientists who conducted the study monitored the eating habits of a group of 81 men and women over eight weeks. A random number in the group were given a diet that included whole grains, while the rest were given refined grains as part of their dietary intake.
Aside from this key difference, everything else was the same: eating plans were similar in calorie content, structure and type of food.
What scientists found was that those who followed the whole grain diet had heightened metabolisms and overall lost about 100 calories more per day through energy expenditure than those who consumed refined grains.
While the discrepancy was largely attributable to an increase in fibre, as whole grains contain much more fibre than refined grains, the scientists also believe the less-processed fibre found in whole grains had that much more of an impact on the way other foods the study participants consumed were digested.
They concluded eating whole grains helps make other foods more digestible, which means your body burns food faster – which reduces calories overall.
If you’re thinking of trying this out, the scientists recommend swapping refined white grains commonly found in white bread or white rice with whole grains such as those found in oats, brown rice and brown bread.
