Energy Bars Not Your Best Option for Weight Loss
Low- or moderate- carbohydrate energy bars don’t
reduce insulin levels in the blood as much as was
thought.
Low- or moderate-carbohydrate foods create less
of an insulin spike in the blood after eating,
which
can help people to burn fat and lose weight, according
to advocates of diet plans such as the Atkins and
Zone diets. However, a study found that low- or
moderate- carbohydrate energy bars don’t reduce insulin
levels in the blood as much as was thought.
This means that these energy bars may not promote
weight loss as they are advertised to do. Although
manufacturers add protein and fat to the bars,
overall the energy content is similar to a higher
carbohydrate
energy bar.
The study involved 20 adults who ate one of five
test meals on five separate days: a low-carbohydrate
energy bar (Atkins Advantage Bar); a moderate-carbohydrate
energy bar (Balance Bar); a high-carbohydrate
energy bar (Power Bar); white bread, which
is nearly all
carbohydrate; and broiled, boneless chicken
breast, which contains no carbohydrate.
The moderate-carbohydrate Balance Bar supports
the Zone diet, which recommends a diet of
40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat
and 30
percent protein.
The low-carbohydrate Atkins Advantage bar
supports the Atkins diet.
Researchers took blood samples to measure
participants’ blood
glucose and insulin levels at various times during
the study. The insulin response from eating white
bread, which researchers were familiar with, was
used to compare the insulin responses of the other
meals.
The low-carbohydrate bar lowered insulin
by about one-quarter compared to eating
white bread. After
eating the moderate-carbohydrate energy
bar, insulin levels rose by more than
one-third, and increased
close to three-quarters after eating
the high-carbohydrate
energy bar. The chicken meal resulted
in insulin levels that were more than three-quarters
lower
than those caused by eating white bread.
Researchers were surprised that the moderate-carbohydrate
bar resulted in a high insulin response.
They say that a combination of factors,
such as
carbohydrate and protein, may work
together to raise insulin
levels.
High insulin levels impair the body’s ability
to burn fat, making it harder to lose weight. Some
diet companies advertise that their lower carbohydrate
products will keep insulin levels low, however there
is no evidence to support such claims, according
to researchers. Medical Science Monitor January 2003;9(2):CR84-90
