Increased vegetable and fruit consumption during weight loss effort correlates with increased weight and fat loss

• Published in: Nutrition & diabetes 2012-10, Vol.2 (10), p.e48-e48
• Main Authors: Whigham, L D, Valentine, A R, Johnson, L K, Zhang, Z, Atkinson, R L, Tanumihardjo, S A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/53; 692/699/1702/393; 692/700/565/2072; Clinical Nutrition; Diabetes; Epidemiology; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Original; original-article
• ISSN: 2044-4052; 2044-4052
• DOI: 10.1038/nutd.2012.22

Background: Individuals who focused on calorie counting lost more weight than those who focused on increasing vegetable and fruit (V&F) intake in a weight loss program. We now present serum carotenoid data (biomarkers of V&F intake) from both groups and test whether these biomarkers correlate with changes in weight and body fat. Design: Sixty obese volunteers were randomized to one of the following weight loss programs: 500 kcal per day reduction (Reduction) or a focus on consuming eight vegetables per day and 2–3 fruits per day (HiVeg). Volunteers in the Reduction group were 36.8±10.3 years with a body mass index of 33.5; 83% were white, 17% chose not to report race; 70% were not Hispanic or Latino, 13% were Hispanic or Latino and 17% chose not to report ethnicity. Volunteers in the HiVeg group were 30.4±6.6 years with a body mass index of 33.2: 74% white, 11% Asian, 5% black or African American, 5% multiracial and 5% chose not to report race; 89% were not Hispanic or Latino, 5% were Hispanic or Latino and 5% chose not to report ethnicity. Subjects were taught basic nutrition principles, received breakfast and lunch 5 days per week for 3 months, meals 2 days per week during month 4, then regular phone calls to month 12. Results: Total serum carotenoid concentrations increased from baseline to 3 months and remained elevated at 12 months, but there was no difference between groups. Changes in weight, fat and % fat correlated negatively with serum carotenoid concentrations. Conclusion: Increased serum carotenoids (a biomarker for V&F intake) correlated with improved weight and fat loss indicating that increased V&F consumption is an appropriate strategy for weight loss. However, in light of the fact that the Reduction group lost more weight, the consumption of increased V&F for the purpose of weight loss should happen within the context of reducing total caloric intake.