While eating fruits and vegetables is important for every person's diet, several studies show that most Americans do not consume enough of them. However, researchers have discovered that high-fiber, low-glycemic fruitssuch as apples, pears, and berries; and non-starchy veggies such as soybean, broccoli and cauliflower help to lose weight and burn fat.
The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine. It was conducted by the T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
Researchers examined the eating habits and weight fluctuations of about 133,170 men and women. It was for a maximum of 24 years.
The study revealed that eating more fruits and many vegetables were connected to weight loss. That was over a 4-year period.
They also learned that high-fiber, low-glycemic foods such as broccoli were linked to more loss of weight, according to Time. That was compared to low-fiber, high-glycemic foods such as carrots.
Researchers also learned that starchy vegetables including potatoes resulted in more weight gain. Furthermore, eating more fruit caused more weight loss than eating more veggies.
Each extra serving of fruit added to the volunteers' daily diet resulted in weight loss of .5 pounds (.2 kilograms), according to Live Science. Meanwhile, each extra weekly serving of vegetables resulted in a .25-pound (.1-kilogram) weight drop.
The authors noted that some of the best weight-loss fruits were apples, pears, and berries. Meanwhile, the best vegetables included soy, green leafy vegetables, and cauliflower.
Fruits and vegetables have different levels of fiber and glycemic loads (carbohydrates' effect on blood sugar). High-fiber foods make people feel fuller. Meanwhile, low-glycemic load foods cause fewer blood sugar spikes and "snack attacks."
Prior to the study researchers were uncertain how much such fruits and vegetables helped with weight loss compared to starchy ones. The latter include corn, peas, and potatoes.
This video explains glycemic index: