Active Low-Carber Forums - View Single Post - 9 meals a day lower cholesterol and help lose weight

9 meals a day lower cholesterol and help lose weight

Quote:

Eating nine meals a day could help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and even encourage weight loss, largely agreed experts. Eating little is often healthier for all. In latest study researchers from Imperial College, London, compared diet patterns of more than two thousand people from the US, UK, Japan and China.

Despite the fact that all study participants had the same calorie intake and food, half the study participants ate less than six times a day, while the remainder ate more than six times. Findings of the study showed that the first group had a significantly higher systolic blood pressure in comparison to more frequently eaters group.

Besides, they were also more heavy then others. Another study by researchers from the University of Athens that included more than two thousand children aged between nine and thirteen years, found that children who ate five times a day were thirty-three percent less prone to have high levels of bad cholesterol than those who ate fewer meals.

Lead researcher Dr Susan Jebb, head of the Medical Research Council’s Human Nutrition Research Unit, explained splitting food intake to eat many times a day will have metabolic benefits over and above the same food consumed in a small number of meals. Now researchers are planning to conduct large trail involving patients with high blood pressure.

The study participants will be told eat either three or nine meals a day in order to evaluate the effects of the different regimens. In addition to that blood pressure, levels of insulin, glucose and fatty acids of all study participants will be recorded. According to one hypothesis frequent meals prevent a high influx of fatty acids.

These compounds are released from foods and can lead to a build-up of fats in the arteries, and also contribute to high cholesterol levels. Eating more frequently during the day means there are no sudden spikes of fatty acids, enabling the body to deal with the intake more effectively. Eating more frequently could also boost energy levels.