To prevent overeating and weight gain, some doctors recommend eating more fruits and vegetables. It is believed that they reduce the appetite for more high-calorie foods. But in a new study, for some participants, from a glass of fruit juice before eating, not only increased hunger, but also increased weight.
Initially, the participants in the experiment were fed a traditional dish - pasta with cheese, with which they consumed an average of 785-821 calories.
When these same participants started the meal with fresh and dried fruits, and then proceeded to the main course, they ate 678 calories, including fruits. Those starting with fruit juice consumed a total of 891 calories.
Eating apples and grapes before lunch really helped people feel more full and eat a little less than when they drank an equivalent amount of fruit juice. Nevertheless, after keeping the volunteers for several months on an enhanced fruit and vegetable diet, the researchers in the long term did not find any difference in their assessments of their own hunger and satiety.
Increased consumption of carrots, broccoli and oranges did not drive long-term hunger. As for fruit juice, he only added calories. As a result, all participants, among whom were people with normal weight and overweight, including fruit juice in their diet, eight weeks later began to weigh 1.5 - 2 kg more. Some of the participants who ate more vegetables and fruits also gained weight. This was especially true for overweight people.
"If you tell people something to add to the diet, it will not lead to weight loss, but to its increase, even if it is fruits and vegetables," says Barbara Rolls from the University of Pennsylvania. “It must be emphasized that fruits and vegetables should replace high-calorie foods, not supplement them.”
