The most popular and effective diets: which one is right for you?

Talking about diet may be more delicate than talking about politics or religion. Margaret Mead once said: “It is easier for a man to change his religion than his diet.”  Today I intend to demystify the term “diet” and give you the confidence to eliminate or, on the contrary, explore foods or dietary protocols that can help you find the ideal balance for your body.

In the past, the word diet was synonymous with vanity, but those times are long gone and today, understanding that each person is different in their genetics and metabolism; in the management of their emotions, in the family burden, work and more, it is imperative to stop and explore which foods are good for you and which are not, as well as the quantities and times of meals, according to your personal circumstances.

Generally, people go on a diet to lose weight.  No diet or supplement will be effective as long as you consume more energy than your body needs.

The fact is that a dietary protocol goes much further, for example:  A raw vegan diet allows you to detoxify, reconfigure and balance the body.  A ketogenic protocol would help you lose fat, while other people would resort to other types of diet if they want to gain muscle.

Today I will briefly explain the most well-known and effective dietary protocols, how they are composed and what benefits they can provide so that you can begin to explore which one may suit you in order to improve your health, as well as your physical, mental and emotional performance.

 

Most popular types of diet

Traditionally, Western society followed a protocol of 3 meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.  However, it is a custom that is changing due to the decrease in physical activity in society and the industrialized production of processed foods, the result of which is manifested in important metabolic alterations and in other cases, emotional alterations such as stress, depression and more.

Nowadays, when planning an event, participants are often asked in advance about their nutritional preferences.  This is a positive thing because the person's current situation is beginning to be taken into account.

The types of diets I mention below are for you to use as tools depending on the situation you are experiencing at the time you decide to take advantage of one of them.  A diet refers, in principle, to an exceptional time in which you eliminate or include one or more foods from your daily diet for a purpose.

 

Fast

As its name indicates, it refers to complete abstinence from food.  Many communities and ancestral traditions have made use of this practice in order to prepare themselves physically, mentally and spiritually for certain events that are part of these traditions.

This practice has been revived today because multiple scientific studies have shown that it allows the human body to restore itself in various aspects.

 

Benefits:

• It would improve blood sugar control, reducing insulin resistance and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

• It may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Fasting is said to provide protection to brain function in terms of memory and cognitive processes. It helps produce nerve cells and exerts a positive influence against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, thanks to the autophagy mechanism that is activated during fasting. ( study )

• Studies have also shown that fasting can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and even improve socialization in humans.

• Fasting can help produce human growth hormone, since the body is under a certain level of stress and this is when this hormone is produced. Growth hormone plays an important role during growth, but in adulthood it helps stimulate metabolism, improve muscle strength and physical performance.

• Weight loss. Some studies indicate that reducing periods of food intake helps to better control body weight and fat loss, although it does not seem to be superior to other types of calorie restriction diets for this purpose. In short, to lose weight, you have to be in a calorie deficit.

There are several types of fasting such as intermittent fasting, 24-hour fasting, 5:12 fasting (5 days of normal eating and 2 days of fasting per week) or prolonged fasting. 

 

Raw Vegan Food

Raw vegan food emphasizes organic, plant-based foods.  Food may be heated and brought to a boil, but not for more than 90 seconds, as subjecting food to any extreme temperature destroys the food's essential nutrients.

This protocol is composed of activated vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and sprouts, mainly. These foods are characterized by maintaining all of their nutritional properties because they are not processed, trying to maintain, as far as possible, their “raw” state.

Benefits:

• Because the body rests from processed foods, the absorption of nutrients is facilitated; we eat less because the foods carry their full nutritional load; we feel more physical energy and vitality.
• By eliminating large amounts of animal protein and starches, the risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced. ( studies )
• A raw food diet can protect the body from infections and other inflammatory diseases such as colds, flu, conjunctivitis, gastroenteritis, allergies and more. ( study )
• Eating a raw food diet can reverse or stop the progression of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. ( study )

Among the variations of the raw vegan protocol are the vegan diet, where foods can be cooked or frozen, but at the base, it includes the same foods.

The other variation is the vegetarian diet, which also includes eggs and dairy products.

 

Ketogenic diet

The ketogenic protocol focuses on the consumption of healthy fats, moderate protein consumption and minimal carbohydrate consumption.  With this regimen, the body enters a state of ketosis where it begins to use accumulated fat as fuel for all daily activities in the absence of sugar.

Benefits:

According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine in the United States, the ketogenic diet would have the potential to

• Increase the genetic diversity of the microbiome and increase the ratio between Bacteriodetes and firmicutes.

• The epigenome could benefit as the Ketogenic diet creates a signaling molecule called Beta-hydroxybutyrate , which has metabolic effects from diseases associated with aging to human DNA. ( study )
• It has helped patients with diabetes reduce their Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and reduce their need for insulin.
• There is evidence that it may help with weight loss, visceral adiposity and appetite control.
• Eating a higher fat diet improves lipid profiles by reducing bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein, while increasing good cholesterol.
• Induces the reduction of triglycerides.
• Due to the Warburg effect , the ketogenic diet can be used as an adjuvant to eliminate cancer cells by making them more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiation.

 

Low carb diet

This protocol significantly limits carbohydrate consumption, which ranges from 25-50 grams per day.  It is characterized by a higher consumption of animal protein, moderate consumption of healthy fat and very low in sugar and starches.

The ketogenic, Atkins, and Paleo or alkaline diets would be variations of this protocol, but they maintain similar effects on the body.

 

Benefits:

• Weight loss. According to a meta-analysis published in the journal Nutrients, it suggests that low-carbohydrate diets are effective in improving weight loss and HDL and Triglyceride (TG) lipid profiles.

• Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Following a low-carb diet for six months or more can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes without any adverse consequences, as described in a meta-analysis published in The British Medical Journal .

• Gut health. A low-carb diet has been shown to influence the composition of our gut microbiota, promoting the growth of species that can have a positive impact on our gut-brain axis and nervous system. In this sense, this type of diet could participate in the prevention and/or treatment protocol for central nervous system disorders, such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and autism. ( article )

• Cardiovascular health. Several studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic in the United States indicate that a high consumption of carbohydrates increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and a higher incidence of mortality from this cause.

Low-carb diets require planning, especially when considering which vegetables and carbohydrates will complement the protein.  If this planning is not carried out appropriately, nutritional deficiencies in terms of vitamins B, C, E and D can develop.

 

Mediterranean diet

 

This protocol focuses on the consumption of green leafy vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, spices and olive oils, which are mainly consumed in countries whose coasts border the Mediterranean Sea.  Meat consumption, as well as dairy products, is low. 

In the practice of this diet, fats are used very sparingly while desserts, refined oils and processed meats are excluded.

The protocol does not specify portion sizes or specific quantities. It is up to the individual to decide how much food to eat at each meal, taking into account physical activity and body size.

 

Benefits:

• According to Harvard University's School of Public Health, research has consistently shown that the Mediterranean diet is effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. ( article )
• In a study by Nurses' Health, it was observed that participants who followed a diet closer to the Mediterranean had longer telomeres, a component of DNA that shortens with age and whose length is a predictor of a person's life expectancy and risk of developing age-related diseases. (1)

• Another study found that women who followed a Mediterranean-type eating pattern were 46% more likely to age healthily. (2)

• The Mediterranean diet can help prevent weight gain, type 2 diabetes. Both conditions promote other diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

• It may help promote gut health. One study showed the influence of the Mediterranean diet on the microbiota where subjects exhibited lower presence of E. coli and a higher total presence of bacteria, a higher Bifidobacteria/E. coli ratio and a higher prevalence of C. albicans and SCFAs ( Short Chain Fatty Acids ).

• It can help reduce high blood pressure . One study found that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet significantly decreased the likelihood of hypertension by 36% and a significant interaction was found between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and weight status (body weight) on hypertension.

 

Carbohydrate cyclical diet

 

This, like other nutritional protocols, is to be used according to your needs:  If you are more active, especially if you are a man, it is important to increase your carbohydrate intake slightly so as not to lose too much muscle mass.

If it is a training day, for example, increase the consumption of this macronutrient to obtain more energy; if it is a rest day or a light training day, simply eat less.

The foods that make up this protocol should be high in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, some starches, and certain low-fat dairy products.

 

Benefits:

• Increase and retention of lean muscle mass. By alternating days of low carbohydrate consumption with days of high carbohydrate consumption, an anabolic environment is created (muscle is built) and muscle mass is preserved due to the reduction of protein degradation in the body.
• Endocrine stimulation. Spending too much time on a low-carb diet tends to reduce T3 hormone levels and, consequently, the basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories burned at rest), thus stagnating the progress of the body's metabolism.

• High-carb periods may also reduce inflammation and help your body use iron. ( study )( study )( study )

• Super glycogen compensation. During days of intense training, the body produces an enzyme called glycogen synthase, whose function is to convert as much glucose as possible into glycogen (sugar stored in muscles and liver to be used in case of deficiency).

When you consume more carbohydrates, the enzyme does not detect them immediately and meanwhile, the muscles continue to absorb all the glucose they can, filling and hardening the muscles.  The effect is not permanent but if done precisely, the muscles remain firm and toned.

These are the main diets from which many other variations arise.  Each person is different and it is therefore important to choose the protocol that best suits them, even adapting it to their lifestyle and personal circumstances.  The important thing is that once you choose your protocol, you stick to it so you can get the results you are looking for.

 

References:

(1) Crous-Bou M, Fung TT, Prescott J, Julin B, Du M, Sun Q, Rexrode KM, Hu FB, De Vivo I. Mediterranean diet and telomere length in Nurses' Health Study: population-based cohort study. BMJ . 2014 Dec 2;349:g6674.

(2) Samieri C, Sun Q, Townsend MK, Chiuve SE, Okereke OI, Willett WC, Stampfer M, Grodstein F. The Association Between Dietary Patterns at Midlife and Health in Aging: An Observational Study. Annals of internal medicine . 2013 Nov 5;159(9):584-91.