Could 'modest' weight loss send type 2 diabetes into remission? A new study suggests that the answer is 'yes.'

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic condition characterized by the body's inability to sufficiently process glucose (sugar). As a result, blood sugar levels are persistently high.

This condition affects over 30 million people in the United States and, if unchecked, it can lead to various complications, including hyperglycemia, hypertension, and vision problems.

Usually, doctors prescribe medication and suggest dietary interventions to help individuals keep the symptoms of type 2 diabetes under control.

Yet remission — referring to a drastic decrease or even disappearance of symptoms, allowing people to cease treatment — is possible under certain conditions.

Individuals with both obesity and type 2 diabetes, for instance, can experience remission of diabetes following bariatric (weight loss) surgery.

Previously, in 2016, a different study showed that people with diabetes who followed an intensive low calorie diet — amounting to an intake of 624–700 kilocalories per day for a period of 8 weeks — could also experience remission.

But is it possible to send type 2 diabetes into remission through a less demanding dietary intervention? That is the question that sparked the interest of a team of specialists from the University of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom.

'Modest' weight loss may be enough

In a new study — the findings of which appear in the journal Diabetic Medicine — the researchers from Cambridge analyzed data from 867 people aged 40–69 with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

All of these individuals had enrolled in the ADDITION-Cambridge trial, a prospective study that assesses, among other factors, the effectiveness and helpfulness of diabetes screening.

Researchers followed the participants' progress for a period of 5 years. By looking at the cohort's medical data, the Cambridge team found that 257 individuals, or 30% of the participants, had diabetes in remission by the end of the 5-year period.

The point of interest? Participants who had achieved at least 10% weight loss within 5 years of type 2 diabetes diagnosis were more than twice as likely to experience remission at the 5-year follow-up, compared with individuals who had not lost any weight.

"We've known for some time now that it's possible to send diabetes into remission using fairly drastic measures, such as intensive weight loss programs and extreme calorie restriction," notes first author Hajira Dambha-Miller, Ph.D.

Yet, she adds, "These interventions can be very challenging to individuals and difficult to achieve."

"But, our results suggest that it may be possible to get rid of diabetes, for at least 5 years, with a more modest weight loss of 10%. This will be more motivating and hence more achievable for many people."

Hajira Dambha-Miller, Ph.D.

According to the study's senior author, Prof. Simon Griffin, the current findings emphasize how important consistent dietary and lifestyle interventions are in managing — and even reversing — diabetes.

"This reinforces the importance of managing one's weight, which can be achieved through changes in diet and increasing physical activity. Type 2 diabetes, while a chronic disease, can lead to significant complications, but as our study shows, can be controlled and even reversed," he says.

While this research does offer more hope for individuals with type 2 diabetes, and the researchers suggest that remission "is achievable" with moderate weight loss, other studies have shown that remission rates tend to remain very low.

For instance, earlier this year, a study of 10,059 individuals with type 2 diabetes found that, at the end of the 8-year study period, only 4.97% of these participants had achieved remission.

Going forward, Dambha-Miller and colleagues are planning to find out how healthcare professionals can best support individuals with type 2 diabetes to achieve weight loss and maintain a healthy weight, in view of this intervention's role in reducing diabetes symptoms.

To do so, they have set up the Glucose Lowering through Weight Management (GLoW) study, the aim of which is "to find out whether a tailored diabetes education and behavioral weight management program" would serve patients better than the current, education-only program offered by the U.K.'s National Health Service.

The researchers are currently recruiting participants for GLoW.

During ketosis, the body becomes very efficient at burning fat and using it instead of glucose for energy. This fat burning makes the ketogenic diet a popular choice for people looking to lose weight.

However, some people may find that they are not losing weight on the keto diet. In most cases, this will be because they have not gone into ketosis.

There are other reasons why a person may not lose weight while following the keto diet. In this article, we outline the different possibilities. We also provide some general tips that can help a person achieve their weight loss goals.

1. Not achieving ketosis

A person on the keto diet should try to make carbs only 5–10% of their calorie intake.

Usually, when a person does not lose weight on the keto diet, it is because they have not achieved ketosis.

The most common reason for not getting into ketosis is not cutting back enough on carbs. According to a 2019 article on the ketogenic diet, carbohydrates should represent only 5–10% of a person's calorie intake.

Specifically, most keto diets require a person to cut down to between 20 and 50 grams of carbs each day.

Sometimes, a person may feel as though they have drastically reduced their carb intake. However, they may still be eating enough carbs for the body to produce energy from glucose, and this will prevent the body from burning fat.

A person who is not losing weight on the keto diet may benefit from purchasing a home testing kit. These kits contain test strips that check for the presence of ketones in the urine. A positive result indicates that the body is in ketosis.

Another option is to use a small machine called a ketone breath analyzer that detects ketones in the breath.

Home testing can be a helpful way for people to ensure that they are actually entering ketosis. People can use this information to make dietary changes that will help them achieve their weight loss goals.

2. Eating too much protein

Many low carb diets allow for a moderate amount of protein. Some people mistakenly think that a low carb, high protein diet is a keto diet. However, this type of diet is unlikely to cause ketosis because the body can break down excess proteins into amino acids and convert them to types of sugar.

A person who is on the keto diet will get most of their calories from fat, which should represent about 55–60% of their calorie intake. This fat intake leaves little room for protein. If protein makes up more than 35% of a person's diet, it is unlikely that they are going into ketosis.

3. Eating too many acceptable carbs

On the keto diet, several types of carbohydrate are acceptable, including nuts and dairy. These foods are typically high fat, nutrient dense foods that make a great addition to a keto diet. However, they also contain carbohydrates.

Eating too many of these foods will keep a person from achieving and maintaining ketosis.

4. Eating maltitol

Sugar alcohols are typically a good option for people following the keto diet. They provide sweetness without increasing net carbs in the body. However, not all sugar alcohols are alike.

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is not keto friendly. Although maltitol is technically a low glycemic index (GI) sugar, it still affects blood sugar levels. This effect is enough to prevent a person from entering ketosis.

5. Not counting calories

Counting calories may help a person lose weight on the keto diet.

A person who eats more calories than their body can burn is unlikely to lose weight. People who consume too many calories may gain weight, even if they are in a state of ketosis.

High fat foods tend to contain many more calories than foods that are high in carbohydrates and proteins. It is, therefore, important that people keep track of the number of calories that they consume.

Sticking to a balanced meal plan can help a person work toward their ideal weight.

6. Constant snacking

Even when a person has an approved meal plan in mind, if they succumb to continual snacking, this can greatly increase their calorie intake. A snack may help prevent hunger pangs, but it can easily sabotage weight loss efforts.

7. Drinking alcohol

Many alcoholic drinks, including wine and beer, are high in carbohydrates. Most forms of the ketone diet do not allow these types of alcohol.

Hard alcohols, such as gin and vodka, are lower in carbohydrates, meaning that they are generally acceptable on a keto diet. However, these drinks are very calorie dense. As such, even these options can prevent weight loss.

Drinking alcohol is an easy way to increase calorie intake without providing the body with nutrients.

8. Little to no exercise

Exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Exercise also stimulates the body's metabolism and burns calories. It is, therefore, a great tool for dieters.

Exercise may be especially important on a keto diet, as the high fat foods that a person eats contain many calories. Burning calories through exercise can help a person reach their desired weight.

9. High stress

A high stress lifestyle can also stop a person from losing weight on the keto diet. As one 2012 study notes, stress can cause changes in hormone levels, which can lead to weight gain or difficulty losing weight.

Chronic stress may also cause people to crave comfort foods. These foods add extra calories to the diet.

10. Underlying medical conditions

Sometimes, a person may be doing everything right and still be unable to lose weight on the keto diet. In some cases, this may be due to an underlying medical condition that is causing weight gain or preventing weight loss. Alternatively, a medication that a person is taking for the underlying condition may be causing increased appetite as a side effect.

Some conditions that can contribute to weight gain include:

A person should see a doctor if they are unable to lose weight despite adhering to a strict diet and exercise plan. The doctor may carry out tests to determine what is preventing weight loss. Treating the underlying condition may resolve the issue.

Tips

Drinking plenty of water may help prevent a person from snacking.

The following tips may help a person avoid common dieting mistakes so that they can lose weight on the keto diet:

• Keeping a food journal: By keeping track of what that they consume throughout the day, a person can often identify any foods or eating patterns — such as snacking — that may be preventing weight loss.
• Drinking plenty of water: Drinking plenty of water helps fill the stomach, and this may help keep a person from overeating or snacking too much throughout the day.
• Chewing sugarless gum: Chewing sugarless gum containing erythritol or stevia may help stave off cravings for sweet foods. It may also help minimize unnecessary snacking between meals.
• Getting plenty of sleep: Sleep helps regulate the body's normal cycles, and it may also help reduce stress levels.

Summary

Achieving and maintaining ketosis can be a difficult task for many people. The keto diet is strict, and it requires people to adhere to it closely to achieve results.

However, with some minor adjustments, most people can reach ketosis and start to work toward their weight loss goals.

Anyone who is unable to lose weight despite following the keto diet and exercising regularly may wish to consider speaking to a doctor or dietitian.

The human body requires a variety of vitamins to keep working properly. There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamins are often obtained through regular food intake. Some people require or want additional vitamins provided through supplements.

Though both types of vitamin are important to the body, this article focuses on the types, functions, and sources of fat-soluble vitamins.

What are fat-soluble vitamins?

Fat-soluble vitamins provide the most benefit when consumed alongside foods that contain fat.

Fat-soluble vitamins will not dissolve in water. Instead, fat-soluble vitamins absorb best when taken with higher-fat foods.

Once absorbed into the body, fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fatty tissues and liver. The body can use these stores for future use. The water-soluble vitamins are vitamins B and C.

There are four types of fat-soluble vitamins:

Each type of fat-soluble vitamin promotes different functions in the body. People deficient in the fat-soluble vitamins may require supplements to boost their supply.

However, it is possible to take in too much of a fat-soluble vitamin, which could lead to toxicity and adverse reactions.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining healthy vision. Without vitamin A, a person would suffer from severe vision issues.

Types

Vitamin A does not refer to one single vitamin but is a collection of compounds known as retinoids. Retinoids can be found both in the human body and in some food sources.

Function

Vitamin A supports several functions throughout the body. Some of the most important functions it supports include vision and the immune system.

Dietary sources

Vitamin A can be obtained through natural sources. Some sources include:

• fish liver oil
• liver of animals
• butter

Animal sources provide the active components to help create retinols within the human body.

Some plants also provide pro-vitamin A compounds known as carotenoid antioxidants. The most common is called beta carotene, which can be found in foods such as:

Recommended intake

The recommended intake of vitamin A varies by age and gender. The following are some recommended daily allowance values:

• infants (0–12 months): 400–500 micrograms (mcg)
• children aged 1–3: 300 mcg
• children aged 4–8: 400 mcg
• children aged 9–13: 600 mcg
• adult women: 700 mcg
• adult men: 900 mcg

Deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency is not common in developed countries. However, vegetarians are at a higher risk of a deficiency because they do not get some kinds of vitamin A through their normal diet.

Similarly, people in developing countries with limited food sources or people whose diet is low in meat intake may also suffer from vitamin A deficiencies.

Some signs of vitamin A deficiency include:

Overdose

It is possible to reach toxic levels of vitamin A. This condition is called hypervitaminosis. People who take vitamin A supplements or eat copious amounts of fish liver oils are at the highest risk.

Pregnant women should not double up on their prenatal vitamins. High levels of vitamin A are harmful to a growing fetus.

If a person experiences an overdose, they may experience symptoms ranging from headaches and fatigue. In severe cases, hypervitaminosis in a pregnant woman may result in a baby with birth defects.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

Vitamin D is produced naturally in the human body when the skin is exposed to the sun. Vitamin D aids in bone health and development.

Types

Similar to vitamin A, vitamin D is a collective term used to describe a collection of compounds. Collectively, these are often referred to as calciferol.

There are two types found naturally:

• vitamin D-3, found in animal fats
• vitamin D-2, found in plants, such as mushrooms

Function

Once vitamin D is absorbed into the bloodstream, the liver and kidneys change calciferol into calcitriol, the biologically active form of vitamin D.

When used in the body, vitamin D performs two major roles:

• bone maintenance
• immune system support

Dietary sources

Vitamin D absorption is one of the only arguments for a person exposing large, unprotected areas of skin to the sun. When exposed regularly, people can actually absorb enough rays to produce vitamin D to function properly, without need for supplements.

However, many people do not spend hours in the sun. When people do, they are also often covered in sunscreen and clothing. As a result, a person is not likely to absorb as much vitamin D through sunlight alone.

Instead, people can obtain vitamin D through some food sources, including:

• fish oil
• fatty fish
• mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light
• fortified dairy products

Recommended intake

Recommended daily values of vitamin D vary by age, though not by much. Some general guidelines indicate the following daily values:

• infants (0–12 months): 10 mcg
• 1–70 years of age: 15 mcg
• above age 70: 20 mcg

Deficiency

It is not very common for a person to develop vitamin D deficiency. When it happens, most cases involve older adults or people who have been admitted to the hospital for extended amounts of time.

Some people are at a higher risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency. These include:

• obese people
• people with dark skin tones
• older adults
• those who get limited sun exposure
• people with chronic conditions

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:

• increased bone fractures
• weakend immune system
• weakened muscles
• impaired healing
• soft bones
• hair loss
• more prone to infections
• tiredness

Overdose

Toxic levels of vitamin D rarely occur. They are most likely to occur in people who take too many vitamin D supplements.

An overabundance of vitamin D in the body can lead to a condition called hypercalcemia. This condition is marked by excessive levels of calcium in the blood.

When hypercalcemia occurs, a person may experience:

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help the body destroy free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that may cause the formation of cancer cells. As such, vitamin E could play an important part in preventing cancer.

Types

Vitamin E is broken down into eight different types, with the two main kinds being tocopherols and tocotrienols. Tocopherol contains the most abundant form of vitamin E.

Function

As an antioxidant, vitamin E protects fatty tissues from free radicals that can cause cancer. Some water-soluble vitamins, such as C and B, help aid vitamin E's functions.

In higher doses, vitamin E can also function as a blood thinner.

Dietary sources

Vitamin E is most abundant in seeds, vegetable oils, and nuts. Some of the best sources of vitamin E include:

• wheat germ oil
• sunflower seeds or oil
• hazelnuts
• almonds

Recommended intake

Similar to vitamin D, recommended daily values for vitamin E vary by age.

Here are some of the breakdowns of recommended daily values:

• infants aged 0–6 months: 4 milligrams (mg)
• infants aged 7–12 months: 5 mg
• children aged 1–3 years: 6 mg
• children aged 4–8 years: 7 mg
• boys aged 9–13 years: 11 mg
• 14 years old and above: 15 mg
• during lactation: 19 mg

Deficiency

Vitamin E deficiency is extremely rare in otherwise healthy individuals. Those with specific illnesses that block the liver from absorbing vitamin E are most at risk.

Symptoms of deficiency include:

• trouble walking
• muscle weakness or tremors
• vision issues
• numbness

There are also several long-term health issues that can result from vitamin E deficiency, including anemia and heart disease.

Overdose

It is nearly impossible for a person to overdose on vitamin E through natural sources. Most people who experience an overdose do so because of taking vitamin E supplements.

However, people taking blood thinners may be more prone to overdose. In high doses, vitamin E may actually increase the risk of a person developing cancer.

Vitamin K

Kale, spinach, and parsley all contain vitamin K.

Vitamin K helps the body form blood clots. This necessary function prevents a person from bleeding out from small scratches.

Types

Vitamin K has a variety of types. The two most common groups are:

• vitamin K-1, found in plant sources
• vitamin K-2, found in animal sources

There are additional man-made types of vitamin K.

Function

The main role that vitamin K plays in the body is blood clotting. However, vitamin K can also help with:

• reducing risk of heart disease
• bone health
• reducing the buildup of calcium in the blood

Dietary sources

Vitamin K-1 and K-2 are found in a variety of sources. Some of these sources include:

• kale
• liver
• spinach
• parsley
• butter
• egg yolks

Recommended intake

Unlike the other vitamins mentioned, vitamin K recommended values are thought of as adequate intake.

When a supplement is measured in adequate intake, it means there is less evidence to support the specified amount.

Some recommended adequate intakes include:

• infants aged 0–6 months: 2 mcg
• Infants aged 7–12 months: 2.5 mcg
• children aged 1-3 years: 30 mcg
• children aged 4–8 years: 55 mcg
• children aged 9–13 years: 60 mcg
• children aged 14-18 years: 75 mcg
• adult women: 90 mcg
• adult men: 120 mcg

Deficiency

Vitamin K is not stored in as great an amount in the body as vitamin A or D. This can lead a person to experience a vitamin K deficiency very quickly.

If a person has a vitamin K deficiency, they have a greater risk of excess bleeding and reduced bone density that can lead to fractures.

Overdose

Naturally occurring vitamin K has no known issues with overdose. Synthetic vitamin K-3, however, may cause overdose when taken in excess.

In general, vitamin K is considered safe to consume.

Takeaway

Fat-soluble vitamins play an essential role in a person's overall health.

It is important to manage the amount of each vitamin to avoid deficiencies and overdosing. Both can have adverse effects that may require medical attention.

Before starting a vitamin supplement, a person should speak to a doctor, and seek medical attention if a deficiency or overdose is expected.

Carbohydrates are an important part of any diet.

There are several types of carb, and the body digests each one differently. Some carbs are not fully digestible. For this reason, the total amount of carbs in a food is different to the amount of net carbs.

In this article, we cover the types of carb, the foods that contain them, and how to calculate net carbs.

What are net carbs?

Fruit, soda, and candy contain simple carbs, which makes them easy to digest.

The key difference between total carbs and net carbs is that total carbs include all the different types of carb in a food or meal. These include starches, dietary fiber, and sugars.

Net carbs, on the other hand, only include carbs that the body can fully digest into glucose.

The two main types of carb are simple and complex carbs. Simple carbs are made up of just one or two sugar molecules. This means that the body can digest them easily.

Simple carbs occur in a variety of foods and drinks, including:

Complex carbs, on the other hand, contain chains that are several molecules long. This means that they take a little longer to break down, which makes them a more lasting source of energy.

Some foods that contain complex carbs include:

• cereals
• pasta
• rice
• corn
• beans and legumes

The body is unable to fully digest some types of complex carb, such as fiber. Complex carbs are not included in net carb calculations. Learn how to subtract them from a food's total carbs below.

How do you calculate net carbs?

In the sections below, we cover how to calculate net carbs based on each different type of carb.

Fiber

A person should subtract fiber when calculating a food's net carbs.

The body cannot fully digest most types of dietary fiber.

To calculate a food's net carbs, it is necessary to find the amount of fiber in a food and subtract it from the total carbs listed on its nutrition label. It is important to note the serving size of the food product, because these numbers are specific for one serving.

For example, a food that contains 20 grams (g) of total carbs and 10 g of dietary fiber has 10 g of net carbs. This final number, 10 g, is the amount of carbohydrates the food contains that the body can digest into glucose.

Sugar alcohols

The body partially digests most sugar alcohols.

In most cases, a person should subtract half the amount of sugar alcohols from the total carb amount listed on the label to get the net carbs.

Erythritol is a type of sugar alcohol that the body cannot digest into glucose at all. To calculate the net carbs of a food containing erythritol, subtract the total amount from the total amount of carbs listed on the nutrition label.

This means that for a product containing 10 g of any other sugar alcohol, subtract 5 g from the total carbs to get the net carbs.

However, for products containing erythritol, subtract the full 10 g from the total carbs to get the net carbs.

Foods with fiber and sugar alcohols

Some ready-to-eat foods, including energy bars and protein bars, contain both fiber and sugar alcohols.

In these cases, work out how many grams of fiber and how much of the sugar alcohol there is to subtract. Then, add these two numbers together, and subtract that number from the total carbs.

So, a food with 20 g of total carbs may contain 10 g of fiber and 10 g of sugar alcohols. Subtract all 10 g of the fiber and 5 g of the sugar alcohols. Next, subtract this total of 15 g from the 20 g of total carbs. This leaves 5 g of net carbs.

Calculating net carbs for diabetes

Many people with diabetes count the amount of carbs in their diet. In many cases, calculating net carbs can help people with diabetes track their intake of dietary fiber and balance medications with carb intake.

Knowing how much fiber and sugar alcohol are in a food or meal can help a person with diabetes determine the amount of insulin they need.

People with diabetes should talk to their doctor, dietitian, or diabetes educator before starting a low carb diet. They can offer advice on the amount of carbs the person needs and how best to track them. They can also match medications to carb intake.

Considerations

Calculating net carbs may increase the number of food choices a person has.

Calculating net carbs has some benefits over tracking total carbs, including:

• promoting a healthful intake of dietary fiber, which can increase feelings of fullness and help control blood sugar levels
• increasing how many food choices are available, as many fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber and contribute fewer carbs to a person's daily goal
• possibly reducing the risk of low blood sugar for people with diabetes, who often need to calculate the amount of insulin they need based on the amount of carbs per meal they consume

Some disadvantages of counting net carbs include:

• increasing the amount of sugar free treats — which may not be carb free — in the diet
• the fact that food nutritional labels vary and may cause confusion among consumers
• the fact that methods for calculating net carbs are only estimations, as everyone's digestive systems and bodily processes are different

Also, for dietary fiber to make any significant difference to a person's blood glucose response, the American Diabetes Association note that products should contain at least 5 g of fiber per serving, in order to be able to subtract this amount from the total carbs on the nutrition label.

Summary

Net carbs refers to the total amount of fully digestible carbohydrates contained within a product or meal.

People can calculate net carbs by subtracting the whole amount of fiber and half the amount of sugar alcohols from the amount of total carbs on a product's nutrition label. There are some exceptions to this rule, so it is important to read the ingredients list of any product first.

Also, it is important that people with diabetes consult their doctor before starting a low carb diet.

Many scientists and healthcare professionals do not recognize the concept of net carbs. For this reason, it remains unclear if there are any confirmed benefits of calculating them.

However, increasing the intake of dietary fiber and decreasing the intake of total added sugar is beneficial for most people.

There are many claims about the potential health benefits of hot yoga, but there is limited scientific support for some of them.

In this article, learn what hot yoga is, its possible benefits, and the risks to consider before starting it.

It is important to note that due to the hot temperatures, people with heat sensitivities should avoid it.

What is hot yoga?

People usually do hot yoga in temperatures between 90°F and 105°F.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) state that depending on the studio, temperatures for hot yoga often range from 90°F (32°C) to 105°F (40°C).

Bikram Choudhury introduced the concept of hot yoga to the United States in the 1970s. Bikram yoga treats yoga like an exercise routine done at a hot temperature.

Participants follow a set routine of moves that they repeat once during the session. Many of the studies that look at the benefits of hot yoga are specifically related to Bikram yoga.

However, not all hot yoga follows the Bikram regimen. Since its introduction, studios that offer hot yoga have devised variations on the routines and temperatures used.

Benefits

The potential benefits of hot yoga include:

Increasing flexibility

Proponents of hot yoga believe that the heat can help them warm up faster and stretch further. This can allow the person to get a better stretch and potentially more out of their session.

Some research backs up this claim. For example, one study revealed that people who participated in hot yoga experienced substantially increased lower back, hamstring, and shoulder flexibility.

However, the same study did not find any changes in cardiovascular measures or aerobic fitness.

The study was small, so more research is necessary to determine if a warmer temperature aids stretching and flexibility.

Burning more calories

Hot yoga, and Bikram yoga in particular, are popular exercise options in part due to claims that they can burn up to 1,000 calories per session. Research does not support this, however.

In a small study from 2014, researchers found that participants in hot yoga burned an average of 286 calories during a 90 minute session.

Calorie expenditure varies widely between different people because of their age, weight, and overall fitness, so the range was 179–478 calories per session.

Increases bone density

Regularly doing yoga may help increase bone density.

Another small study, this time looking at nine female Bikram yoga instructors, found that their bone density increased over the course of 5 years.

The instructors taught in addition to attending at least three classes per week.

However, an increase in bone density is not unique to hot or Bikram yoga.

In fact, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, any weight bearing exercise routine can help improve bone density if a person does it consistently.

Boosting cardiovascular health

According to one small study of 19 healthy, experienced participants, a single session of Bikram yoga can produce a moderate metabolic response, increase heart rate, and elevate core temperature.

However, since the routine is very specific in Bikram yoga, a person may not experience the same results in another, less vigorous hot yoga session.

The researchers also note that the metabolic effects were equal to those of walking at 3.5 miles per hour.

Reducing stress

Traditional yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety, so hot yoga may have similar benefits.

One study looked at the effects of a 16 week Bikram yoga regimen on physically inactive adults with stress.

The group that did yoga reported a significant decrease in their stress levels at the end of the study.

Possibly improving glucose tolerance

The authors of a 2013 study looked at glucose tolerance levels in 14 young, lean adults and 15 older adults with obesity.

Both groups completed an 8 week Bikram yoga program. The results indicated that Bikram yoga can help adults with obesity improve their glucose tolerance, but it had no effect on the younger, healthier adults.

However, it is possible that not all hot yoga sessions can produce these results. The study was small and would require additional studies to support its conclusions.

Risks and considerations

A person should stay hydrated during hot yoga to avoid dehydration.

Hot yoga may offer some benefits. However, many of the benefits it offers are similar to those of other exercise routines.

Hot yoga also has some risks, including:

• overheating or heat exhaustion
• dehydration
• muscle damage

The ACE also recommend that newcomers to yoga and those who are less physically fit stick to traditional yoga.

If a person experiences lightheadedness, nausea, or difficulty breathing, they should leave the room. Hydrating and having a higher overall fitness level prior to starting hot yoga may help a person get through the routine.

People should talk to their doctor before starting hot yoga. They can give advice on whether or not hot yoga is right for them. If not, the doctor may recommend other exercises instead.

Summary

There is a limited amount of research to suggest that participating in hot yoga can increase flexibility, boost heart health, and improve glucose tolerance. However, more research is necessary to confirm these findings.

Hot yoga is not for everyone. People who are new to yoga may wish to begin with traditional classes.

For people looking to try hot yoga, it is important to stay hydrated and stop if they feel ill while participating.

It is also important to remember that many of the benefits of hot yoga are the same as those of other forms of exercise.

New research looks at changes in the nutritional content of a typical U.S. diet.

During 1999–2016, the average proportion of daily calorie intake that refined grains, added sugar, and starchy vegetables represented decreased by 3% in the U.S., according to the new JAMA study.

However, these low quality carbohydrates still account for 42% of daily calories, while high quality carbohydrates — such as whole grains and fruits — only account for 9%.

Over the same period, total fat intake went up by 1%. Half of this increase was due to saturated fat, which now accounts for 12% of daily calories. This figure is above the 10% maximum in the U.S. dietary guidelines.

"Although there are some encouraging signs that the American diet improved slightly over time, we are still a long way from getting an 'A' on this report card," says co-senior study author Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, a nutrition epidemiologist at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, MA.

For the study, the researchers drew on the records of the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Their analysis included dietary data from nearly 44,000 adults who had reported what they had consumed in a 24-hour period at least once between 1999 and 2016. Their average age was 47 years, and 52% were female.

Carbs, proteins, and fats in U.S. diet

The researchers estimated nutrient intake with the help of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) database.

They assessed dietary quality using the USDA's Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which measures how well a diet aligns with the U.S. dietary guidelines.

The results showed that during 1999–2016, the estimated calorie intake from carbohydrates, fat, and proteins in the U.S. diet altered as follows:

• Total carbohydrates fell from 52.5% to 50.5%.
• Total protein increased from 15.5% to 16.4%.
• Total fat increased from 32.0% to 33.2%.
• Low quality carbohydrates fell from 45.1% to 41.8%.
• High quality carbohydrates increased from 7.42% to 8.65%.
• Plant protein increased from 5.38% to 5.76%.
• Saturated fat increased from 11.5% to 11.9%.
• Polyunsaturated fat increased from 7.58% to 8.23%.

The increase in high quality carbohydrate consumption came mostly from whole grains, while the reduction in low quality carbohydrate consumption was primarily due to lower intake of added sugar.

"Because low quality carbs are associated with disease risk, taking in higher quality carbs could mean better health for Americans in the future," says first study author Zhilei Shan, Ph.D.

Shan is a nutritional epidemiology fellow in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA. During the study, he was also working at Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.

Most protein still comes from meat

The modest increase in plant protein intake also came from higher whole grain consumption, together with a slight increase in the consumption of nuts.

There was a small but significant increase in the HEI, which went up from 55.7 to 57.7.

The analysis reveals that most of the protein in the typical U.S. diet still comes from meat, including processed and red meat.

"Proteins consumed from seafood and healthy plant sources, such as whole grains, nuts, and legumes, remained a much smaller proportion," says co-senior study author Shilpa Bhupathiraju, Ph.D., a research scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"Our research suggests," she adds, "that Americans have an opportunity to diversify their sources of protein to include more seafood, beans, soy products, nuts, and seeds."

Food industry cooperation is key

In an editorial article, Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., and Marilyn C. Cornelis, Ph.D., both from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, comment on the new findings.

"Despite some improvement in these results, the overall HEI score remains woefully shy of the recommended guidelines," they write.

They suggest that a key factor in helping consumers follow the U.S. dietary guidelines is getting the food industry to promote whole grains, fruits, plant based protein, and vegetables while reducing sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

Despite the researchers' "efforts to focus on food groups of similar quality," the study only offers "a 'macro' view," they argue. There is a need to unravel the more "specific intricacies of diet."

"Snacks, desserts, pizza, fast food sandwiches, and sugar sweetened beverages are currently major contributors to the population energy intake and confer dubious contributions to diet quality as measured by HEI."

Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., and Marilyn C. Cornelis, Ph.D.

A study might have found the cause of today's high adult obesity rates.

In recent years, obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed.

To be specific, around 15% of adults had obesity in 1970. By 2016, that percentage had increased to almost 40%.

Numerous studies have linked the rise in sugar intake with obesity, and many researchers believe that consuming artificially sweetened beverages and processed foods contribute to the obesity epidemic.

However, if this is the case, why did obesity rates continue to rise even after sugar consumption began to decline? In 2014, for instance, obesity rates continued to climb despite the fact that sugar intake among U.S. adults had dropped by 25%.

These are some of the questions that researcher Alex Bentley and his colleagues set out to answer in a new study. Their results appear in the journal Economics & Human Biology.

Bentley, head of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and team posit that today's adult obesity epidemic is the result of increases in childhood sugar intake that occurred decades ago.

Dietary habits from 30–40 years ago are key

"While most public health studies focus on current behaviors and diets, we took a novel approach and looked at how the diets we consumed in our childhood affect obesity levels now that we are adults," says Bentley.

Study co-author Damian Ruck, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Anthropology, adds, "Up to this point, no studies have explicitly explored the temporal delay between increased sugar consumption and rising obesity rates."

To fill this gap, Bentley and team devised a mathematical model for the increase in adult obesity rates since the 1990s "as a legacy of increased consumption of excess sugars among children of the 1970s and 1980s."

They then tested their model using data that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had gathered in 1990–2004, and by comparing them with U.S. Department of Agriculture data on annual sugar intake since 1970.

Using a stochastic process, the model shows how the rising consumption of excess sugar increased obesity rates in each age cohort.

"Our results indicate that past U.S. sugar consumption is at least sufficient to explain adult obesity change in the past 30 years," say the researchers.

Their model, they say, explains the years of delay between sugar consumption (cause) and increasing obesity rates (effect).

"Our results suggest that the dietary habits learned by children 30 or 40 years ago could explain the adult obesity crisis that emerged years later."

Damian Ruck

More specifically, the model suggests that "for each age cohort, [...] the current obesity rate will be the obesity rate in the previous year plus a simple function of the mean excess sugar consumed in the current year."

"With just these inputs," the researchers add, "the model can replicate the timing and magnitude of the national rise in obesity."

Poverty main driver of excess sugar intake

The study's other significant observations include the importance of the rise in consumption of high fructose corn syrup. Most of the increase in excess sugar consumption before 2000 was due to this artificial sweetener, which had become very prevalent in processed foods and soft drinks.

"Because 75-year-old [people] experienced childhood before the large-scale increase of sugar in processed foods, they may have developed less lifelong preference for added sugars in foods," write the study authors. However, they add that more research is necessary in this age group.

They also speculate that poverty is the main driver behind excessive sugar consumption.

"Economically, sugar is an inexpensive source of calories, and sweetened beverages have been a substantial portion of expenditures for low income households," they say.

Finally, they note that childhood obesity rates have dropped since the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children halved the daily juice allowance in 2009.

"If our model is correct, the effect of this 2009 change will follow these children into adulthood," conclude Bentley and colleagues.

Despite being dense in calories, nuts may help prevent the weight gain that often occurs during adulthood.

Nuts have a wide variety of health benefits, and recent studies have been uncovering more and more of them.

From staving off heart disease to improving men's sexual function, Medical News Today has reported on many of the studies that have hailed nuts' protective effects.

For instance, a daily intake of nuts may also reduce the risk of other illnesses, such as diabetes and cancer, and slash the risk of mortality from any cause.

But what is the relationship between daily nut consumption and weight gain? Two studies published last year found that a daily serving of nuts may keep away the extra weight that we tend to put on as adults.

Now, new research, appearing in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, strengthens those findings.

Xiaoran Liu, Ph.D., a research associate in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in Boston, MA, and colleagues set out to examine the effects of eating more nuts on weight control.

Studying nut consumption in a large sample

Liu and colleagues analyzed data on weight, diet, and exercise patterns in three groups of people:

• 27,521 men who had enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study between 1986 and 2010
• 61,680 women who had participated in the Nurses' Health Study between 1986 and 2010
• 55,684 women, who tended to be younger than those in the second group, and who had participated in the Nurses' Health Study II between 1991 and 2011

The participants were free from any chronic disease at the start of the study. Every 4 years, they answered questions about their weight and nut consumption on a questionnaire.

The questionnaire enquired how often the participants consumed 28-gram servings of nuts.

The researchers also evaluated participants' exercise patterns through questionnaires every 2 years. The scientists assessed exercise using metabolic equivalent of a task — MET — hours, which indicate how many calories a person has burned per hour of physical activity.

Nut intake and reduced weight gain

The analysis indicated that increasing daily nut consumption by half a serving was linked with a smaller risk of gaining 2 or more kilograms (kg) of weight over a 4-year period.

Also, the same half-serving increase in walnut intake was linked with a 15% lower obesity risk.

More specifically, replacing an intake of processed meats, refined grains, or desserts with half a serving of nuts was linked with staving off between 0.41 and 0.70 kg in any given 4-year period.

Furthermore, going from not eating nuts at all to consuming at least half a serving a day was linked with preventing 0.74 kg of weight gain and lower overall risks of moderate weight gain and obesity.

Finally, consistently increasing one's nut intake by half a daily serving was linked with a 23% lower risk of gaining 5 or more kilograms and a lower risk of obesity in the same period of time.

Although the researchers also looked at peanut butter intake, they found no positive effects of this consumption.

How nuts may reduce adulthood weight gain

Although this is an observational study, and the researchers cannot establish causality, they do point to some potential mechanisms that could explain the results.

One possible explanation could be that chewing nuts takes a lot of effort, making people less likely to eat anything else. Also, nuts are high in fiber, which can increase the feeling of satiety and delay stomach emptying, thus suppressing hunger and making the person feel fuller for longer.

What is more, nut fiber binds better to fats in the gut, which causes more calories to be excreted, explain the authors.

Furthermore, nuts are high in unsaturated fats, which, according to some studies, increase the oxidation of fats and thermogenesis, helping turn calories into energy at a faster rate.

Liu and colleagues write, "Our results indicate that increased consumption of total nuts or any types of nut (including peanuts) is associated with less long term weight gain, despite being calorically dense."

They go on to conclude:

"Incorporating nuts as part of a healthy dietary pattern by replacing less healthful foods may help mitigate the gradual weight gain common during adulthood and beneficially contribute to the prevention of obesity."