Apples and pears keep the weight off
Brazilian researchers, studying the impact of fruit intake on
weight loss, report that overweight women who ate just 300 grams
of apples or pears — that's
the equivalent of three small fruits a day — lost more weight
on a low-calorie diet than women who didn't add fruit to their
diet.
For the study, women were instructed to eat one of three dietary
supplements: apples, pears, or oat cookies three times a day.
After 12 weeks, the fruit group lost 1.22 kilograms (2.7 pounds),
whereas the oat group lost 0.88 kilograms (1.9 pounds).
Researchers suggest several theories as to why apple and pear
consumption may promote weight loss.
First, fruits like apples
and pears are "low energy-density" foods — that is,
they have a relatively low calorie count compared to other non-fruit
foods.
Second, research has shown that eating a high-fiber diet
(calorie intake being equal) promotes postmeal "satiety," meaning
we feel fuller for longer after eating a high-fiber meal. Apples
and pears are both important sources of fiber, delivering 5 grams
per medium-sized apple and 4 grams per medium-sized pear.
And
finally, research has also established that eating a high-fiber
diet decreases total calorie intake, thus contributing to weight
loss. In other words, eating a high-fruit diet tends to make
it more difficult to overeat, because eating a lot of low-energy
dense fruits like apples and pears crowds out other foods, reducing
your total calorie intake.
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References
Conceicao de Oliveira M, Sichieri R, Sanchez Moura A. (2003). Weight
loss associated with a daily intake of three apples or three
pears among overweight women. Nutrition, 19, 253-256
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