A new study has found that not all calories are alike when it comes to weight loss.
Researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, in a small study, found that participants on a low glycemic index diet, rich in whole grains, beans and vegetables, burned the most calories.
According to Bloomberg, the experiment looked at 21 overweight men and women over seven months.
The participants were separated into groups, according to USA Today, with some on low-fat diets, others on low-carbohydrate diets and lastly several on low glycemic index diets, which stresses complex carbohydrates like beans and ancient grains.
Researchers found that the low-carb diet burned more calories than did a traditional low-fat diet, said the Los Angeles Times.
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It also helped to keep the weight off – a typical problem among dieters.
However, the low glycemic index diet fared best of all with even more calories burned.
"From a metabolic perspective, all calories are not alike," said study author, David Ludwig, of the Children's Hospital Boston, according to CBC News.
"The quality of the calories going in affects the quantity of the calories going out."
The low glycemic index diet has been touted for years, most prominently by Dr. Andrew Weil, a natural health expert and bestselling author.
The diet is said to resemble that of the traditional Mediterranean diet.
The study was published in the journal of the American Medical Association.
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