Poor quality food is a significant driver of insulin resistance, which in turn increases the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. It is the development of the metabolic syndrome that is the cause of the obesity disease that we currently see spreading throughout Western nations. High quality foods are able to prevent or even reverse insulin resistance, and in this way can facilitate weight loss caused by poor quality foods. Preventing and treating obesity therefore requires that we understand the foods that are of low quality and identify and eliminate these foods from our diets, and then replace these foods with healthier, high quality, alternatives. A number of studies have investigated the effects of various foods on the risk of metabolic syndrome in humans, and results from these studies have identified a number of groups of dietary patterns that are associated with weight gain. It is important to remember that it is not too much food that causes weight gain, but the wrong types of foods.
One of the food patterns most often associated with weight gain is the low fibre diet pattern. Such a pattern is characterised by the presence of a diet containing predominantly highly refined cereal grains that have had their germ and bran layer stripped from them during processing. The bran layer contains most of the fibre, and the germ layer is a highly concentrated source of minerals and vitamins. Once theses layers are stripped away, all that is left is the inner endosperm layer than contains starch. Another food associated with the low fibre diet pattern is the refined sugars. This category can include sucrose, obtained from sugar beet or sugarcane, processed in such a way as to remove its fibre and micronutrients, as well as artificial synthetic sugars including high fructose corn syrup. Both the refined cereal grains and the refined sugars provide empty calories that are too rapidly absorbed, and this in turn is a direct cause of insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.
Refined cereal grains and refined sugars are found in foods including white bread, pastry, refined cereals, sugary drinks, cakes and biscuits. These low quality foods contribute significantly to the development of weight gain. Avoiding these foods is pivotal in any weight loss strategy, and it is highly unlikely that effective long term weight loss will occur if they are continue to be eaten. These types of foods should be replaced by starchy foods that retain their original fibre and micronutrient content, and are therefore whole grains, in the case of cereals. Sugars should be limited to a small part of the diet even if in their unrefined state, but if sweet foods are occasionally required honey, molasses and other sugars containing micronutrients should be the only sources. Fruit drinks are another source of refined sugars that should be eliminated from the diet, with whole fruit being the replacement. Studies have shown that those with the highest intakes of fibre have the lowest risk of developing the metabolic syndrome.
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