When you start a diet, you start by talking regarding carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are a lot of talk regarding “I need to quit” and “I need to reduce”. At some point, carbohydrates have become the ‘enemy’ of ‘weight loss’, but there are carbohydrates that help you lose weight. Vegetables and fruits contain a lot of dietary fiber.
◆ Dietary fiber intake lowered the risk of death
Recently, in the international scientific journal ‘Frontiers in Nutrition’, a paper was published that chronic kidney disease patients reduced their risk of death when they ate enough dietary fiber. Chronic kidney disease can significantly impair kidney function, increasing the risk of dialysis and kidney transplantation. Dietary fiber helps bowel movements, induces uremic excretion, and reduces chronic inflammation. As a result of analyzing the dietary habits of 3,892 chronic kidney disease patients aged 40 to 68 years over a 10-year period, those who ate the most fiber had a 37% lower risk of death than those who ate the least. The risk of death from cardiovascular disease was reduced by 44%.
However, kidney disease patients should be careful with vegetables and fruits that are high in potassium. It should be consumed only following consulting a doctor or nutritionist. This is because of the risk of hyperkalemia, which can lead to shock. Therefore, it is effective to consume dietary fiber through apples, grapes, pineapples, and plums, which are low in potassium. Tomatoes, melons, and vegetables are high in potassium. It is helpful to cut vegetables except for the skins and stems, which are rich in potassium, and soak them in water for 1 hour, blanch in boiling water and rinse.
◆ Carbohydrates should be eaten at least 50% of the meal… Source of energy and immunity
Carbohydrates are essential nutrients that provide energy to the body and support immune function and brain activity. Low mood and poor concentration may also be the cause of carbohydrate deficiency. It is appropriate to eat 55-65% of total energy intake per day (KCDC). Foods that eat plant fruits (grains, fruits), roots (sweet potatoes, radishes), and stems (potatoes) are mostly carbohydrate foods. When dieting, reduce bread, rice, and noodles, but eat enough vegetables to keep your health.
◆ To maintain the effect of diet for a long time… ‘Cutting off carbohydrates’ is not enough
For short-term weight loss, cutting down on carbohydrates can help in some way. However, the long-term weight loss effect is not great. This is because you need to reduce your total caloric intake, including fat. Carbohydrates are 4 kcal per gram, but fats are 9 kcal, more than twice as many. Exercising must also be done in parallel to prevent the remaining energy from accumulating in the body. After all, ‘eat less and move more’ is the key to diet.
◆ Dietary fiber effect of carbohydrates… Prevention of vascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke
When trying to lose weight, it is better to choose carbohydrates that are high in water (vegetables, fruits, etc.). Carbohydrates are more beneficial than fats for long-term weight control because they contain fewer calories than volume. If you eat a lot of fruit, you gain weight. If you eat green-yellow vegetables or fruits with less sweet taste, you can get enough dietary fiber and maintain the diet effect for a long time. If you eat vegetables instead of rice or bread first, you feel full, which is good to prevent overeating. Oats and apples are rich in dietary fiber, which lowers cholesterol and lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.
Reporter Kim Yong-eok ecok@kormedi.com
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