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Diets Are Not One-Size-Fits-All

There might be different responses to the same food.

(Mirror Daily, United States) – Eating healthy for some is not healthy for others, and researchers highlight the fact that diets are not one-size-fits-all and may differ from person to person. There is no secret formula that would help everyone get healthy while losing weight.

The common theory has been that keeping a steady diet of fruits, vegetables, balanced with proteins and few carbohydrates, along with exercise will keep everyone healthy. However, the effects might differ drastically where blood sugar is concerned. Thus, the low-fat, nutritious food might not be the key for everyone.

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science conducted a study on 800 people by tracking their blood sugar in response to certain meals. They wore blood sugar monitors for a week that measured the glycemic index (GI). The participants recorded their food intake, along with providing data and stool samples.

It was noted that none of the patients had diabetes. Some were overweight, while others were obese and had a condition known as pre-diabetes though.

The researchers found that each person had a different response to the same food. Their metabolism treated them differently, easily measured to the amount of blood sugar. For example, one woman’s blood sugar increased more after eating sushi than after eating ice cream. Another participant saw to a similar upsurge after eating tomatoes.

Those are both items that are generally thought not to be high in fat or contain that much sugar. They’re often included in what most consider healthy diets, but it does seem that not everyone is suited for the same plan. The difference could be rooted in the gut bacteria that helps process the food.

According to one of the researchers, Eran Segal, this is a “really big hole in literature” that each individual body reacts differently to this degree. And it’s not one that should be underestimated. High blood sugar is linked to several conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular problems. Not properly understanding what rises those levels could be detrimental to the patient’s health.

As his co-author, Eran Elinav, had mentioned, this has brought the fact into the spotlight that we’re still very inaccurate where basic concepts of our very existence is concerned. What we eat and how it affects us is still a notion that deserves more research. Thus, in order to achieve weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, it should not simply be recommended to go on a low-fat diet.

Every regime should be individualized to the patient’s need. This could be done through an efficient algorithm by analyzing personal characteristics, along with the person’s gut microbes. The microbiome hosts trillions of bacteria inside the human body. It’s tough to think that they would all have the same effects on everyone after consuming the same food.

Image source: arthritis.org

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