Certain genes may mean that vegetables taste more bitter for some people.
The “taste gene” can affect how people perceive different flavors.
Taste bud sensitivity decreases as we age, so even your most disliked vegetables could become palatable later in life.
Why is it difficult for some people to eat vegetables?
Researchers at the University of Kentucky believe a certain gene makes compounds in some vegetables taste particularly bitter to some people, so they avoid nutritious, heart-healthy vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.
Such individuals may also have a similar sensitivity to dark chocolate, coffee, and beer, according to Jennifer L. Smith, a licensed registered nurse and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and one of the authors of the preliminary study.
The study, which will be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia November 16–18, is based on some previous work that found that this genotype was associated with the types of vegetables eaten by college students.
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The ‘taste gene’
Humans are born with two copies of a taste gene called TAS2R38. Those who inherit two copies of the variant called AVI are not sensitive to the bitterness of these chemicals. But those who inherit one copy of AVI and one copy of PAV are especially sensitive and find these foods particularly bitter, Smith said.
For this study, researchers investigated the possibility that this association existed in people with two or more cardiovascular disease risk factors. Over a 3-year period, they conducted a secondary analysis of data using a sample from a previous study that investigated gene interactions in people at risk for cardiovascular disease. They analyzed food frequency questionnaires from 175 people.
The average age of the respondents was 52. More than 70 percent of them were female. They found that people with the PAV form of the gene were more than 2 1/2 times as likely to rank in the bottom half of vegetables consumed.
This study could change how doctors approach people who are advised to change their diet in order to have a healthier cardiovascular system.
“This association could influence their ability to alter their diets to meet a heart-healthy eating pattern,” Smith said.
Still, Smith said more research needs to be done about the best way to encourage people to eat their vegetables.
“We hope to explore avenues that people with this gene can take to make food more palatable to them,” she said. “Down the road we hope we can use genetic information to figure out which vegetables people may be better able to accept and to find out which spices appeal to supertasters (those with heightened sensitivity to taste) so we can make it easier for them to eat more vegetables.”
Don’t always follow your gut
Tonia Reinhard, a senior lecturer at Wayne State University in Detroit and course director for clinical nutrition at the university’s school of medicine, said it’s intriguing that the University of Kentucky researchers identified genetic regions that relate to taste that can influence one’s food choices and potentially influence development of certain chronic diseases.
“Since fruits and vegetables contain numerous phytonutrients and essential nutrients that can reduce inflammation and oxidative damage — two key damaging processes linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases — anything that affects dietary intake of these foods can possibly influence disease development,” said Reinhard, a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and past president of the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
She added that people should remember that human taste perception is a complex process that is affected by numerous variables.
“It is useful for individuals to try to understand their own preferences and when unhealthful, use their cognitive function to override some of those,” she said.
Annie Mahon, a registered dietitian, nutritionist, and visiting lecturer in the department of kinesiology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, called the study of genes that influence taste preferences an active area of research. She echoed concerns about the health implications of forgoing cruciferous, heart-healthy vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.
“These vegetables are good sources of fiber, folate, as well as vitamin C and K,” Mahon said. “These nutrients are important to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system, as well as heart health.”
She said options for individuals with this genotype could include cooking the vegetables.
“That may reduce the bitterness and therefore be found to have an acceptable taste,” she said. “Or individuals have to find other sources of those nutrients which should be fairly easy to do since there are lots of other options.”
Mahon said it is also important to remember that taste buds decrease in sensitivity as we get older.
“So just because you didn’t like a fruit or vegetable when you were young doesn’t mean you won’t like it as you get older,” she said.
However, most of them will make you hungry and unsatisfied.
If you don’t have iron willpower, then hunger will cause you to give up on these plans quickly.
The plan outlined here will:
Reduce your appetite significantly.
Make you lose weight quickly, without hunger.
Improve your metabolic health at the same time.
Here is a simple 3-step plan to lose weight fast.
1. Cut Back on Sugars and Starches
The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs).
When you do that, your hunger levels go down and you end up eating much fewer calories (1Trusted Source).
Now instead of burning carbs for energy, your body starts feeding off of stored fat.
Another benefit of cutting carbs is that it lowers insulin levels, causing your kidneys to shed excess sodium and water out of your body. This reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight (2, 3Trusted Source).
It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight.
This is a graph from a study comparing low-carb and low-fat diets in overweight or obese women (4Trusted Source).
The low-carb group is eating until fullness, while the low-fat group is calorie-restricted and hungry.
Cut the carbs and you will start to eat fewer calories automatically and without hunger (5).
Put simply, cutting carbs puts fat loss on autopilot.
SUMMARYRemoving sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will reduce your appetite, lower your insulin levels and make you lose weight without hunger.
2. Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables
Each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables.
Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20–50 grams per day.
High-protein diets can also reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce the desire for late-night snacking by half, and make you so full that you automatically eat 441 fewer calories per day — just by adding protein to your diet (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
When it comes to losing weight, protein is the king of nutrients. Period.
Don’t be afraid to load your plate with these low-carb vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without going over 20–50 net carbs per day.
A diet based mostly on meat and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.
Fat Sources
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Avocado oil
Butter
Eat 2–3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal.
Don’t be afraid of eating fat, as trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for failure. It will make you feel miserable and abandon the plan.
SUMMARYAssemble each meal out of a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables. This will put you in the 20–50 gram carb range and significantly lower your hunger levels.
3. Lift Weights 3 Times Per Week
You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it is recommended.
The best option is to go to the gym 3–4 times a week. Do a warm-up and lift some weights.
If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice.
By lifting weights, you will burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
Studies on low-carb diets show that you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat (13).
If lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some cardio workouts like walking, jogging, running, cycling or swimming will suffice.
SUMMARYIt is best to do some sort of resistance training like weight lifting. If that is not an option, cardio workouts are also effective.
Optional — Do a “Carb Refeed” Once Per Week
You can take one day off per week where you eat more carbs. Many people prefer Saturday.
It is important to stick to healthy carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit, etc.
But only this one higher carb day — if you start doing it more often than once per week you’re not going to see much success on this plan.
If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, then do it on this day.
You will gain some weight during your refeed day, but most of it will be water weight and you will lose it again in the next 1–2 days.
SUMMARYHaving one day each week where you eat more carbs is perfectly acceptable, although not necessary.
What About Calories and Portion Control?
It is NOT necessary to count calories as long as you keep the carbs very low and stick to protein, fat and low-carb vegetables.
However, if you really want to count them, use this calculator.
Enter your details, and then pick the number from either the “Lose Weight” or the “Lose Weight Fast” section — depending on how fast you want to lose weight.
There are many great tools you can use to track the number of calories you are eating. Here is a list of 5 calorie counters that are free and easy to use.
The main goal of this plan is to keep carbs under 20–50 grams per day and get the rest of your calories from protein and fat.
SUMMARYIt is not necessary to count calories to lose weight on this plan. It is most important to strictly keep your carbs in the 20–50 gram range.
10 Weight Loss Tips to Make Things Easier (and Faster)
Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the most fattening things you can put into your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight (18Trusted Source, 19).
Drink water a half hour before meals. One study showed that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months (20Trusted Source).
Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Base most of your diet on whole foods. They are healthier, more filling and much less likely to cause overeating.
Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones (26, 27Trusted Source).
Weigh yourself every day. Studies show that people who weigh themselves every day are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off for a long time (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).
Get a good night’s sleep, every night. Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important (30).
You can expect to lose 5–10 pounds of weight (sometimes more) in the first week, then consistent weight loss after that.
I can personally lose 3–4 pounds per week for a few weeks when I do this strictly.
If you’re new to dieting, then things will probably happen quickly. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you will lose it.
For the first few days, you might feel a bit strange. Your body has been burning carbs for all these years, so it can take time for it to get used to burning fat instead.
This is called the “low-carb flu” or “keto flu” and is usually over within a few days. For me it takes three. Adding some extra salt to your diet can help with this.
After the first few days, most people report feeling very good, with even more energy than before.
Despite many decades of anti-fat hysteria, the low-carb diet also improves your health in many other ways:
Blood sugar tends to go way down on low-carb diets (31).
To top it all off, low-carb diets appear to be just as easy to follow as low-fat diets.
SUMMARYYou can expect to lose a lot of weight, but it depends on the person how quickly it will happen. Low-carb diets also improve your health in many other ways.
You Don’t Need to Starve Yourself to Lose Weight
If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before making changes because this plan can reduce your need for medication.
By reducing carbs and lowering insulin levels, you change the hormonal environment and make your body and brain “want” to lose weight.
This leads to drastically reduced appetite and hunger, eliminating the main reason that most people fail with conventional weight loss methods.
Another great benefit for the impatient folks is that the initial drop in water weight can lead to a big difference on the scale as early as the next morning.
Obesity rates have skyrocketed over the last 50 years (1Trusted Source).
Currently, over 66% of the US population is either overweight or obese (1Trusted Source).
The cause of this disturbing trend is hotly debated, and some people blame it on certain macronutrients or types of foods.
While these and many other factors can play a role, the underlying cause of the worldwide obesity epidemic is an energy imbalance (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
That is, people are consuming much more calories than before, but calories burned haven’t increased enough to offset the increased intake.
Here are 7 graphs that show that calories do matter.
1. Body Weight Has Increased Alongside Calorie Intake
This study assessed the change in calorie intake and average body weight from 1970 to 2000. The average child now weighs 9 lbs (4 kgs) more than in 1970, while the average adult weighs about 19 lbs (8.6 kgs) more (5Trusted Source).
When comparing the change in average weight, the calculations equated almost exactly to the increased calorie intake (5Trusted Source).
The study showed that children now consume an additional 350 calories per day, while adults consume an additional 500 calories per day.
Body mass index (BMI) measures the height-to-weight ratio of an individual, and is used as an indicator of obesity and disease risk (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
In the last 50 years, the average BMI has risen 3 points, from 25 to 28 (8Trusted Source).
Among US adults, each 100-calorie increase in daily food intake is associated with a 0.62-point increase in average BMI (9).
As you can see in the graph, this rise in BMI correlates almost exactly with the rise in calorie intake.
3. Consumption of All Macronutrients Has Increased
The debate about the cause of weight gain and the obesity epidemic is still debated. Some blame carbs, while others blame fat.
Interestingly, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggests that the percentage of calories from carbs, protein and fat has stayed relatively constant over the years (10Trusted Source).
As a percentage of calories, carb intake has increased slightly while fat intake has gone down. However, the total intake of all three macronutrients has gone up.
4. Weight Loss on Low-Fat and High-Fat Diets is the Same
Research has shown a low-carb diet can be effective for weight loss and provide numerous health benefits, but the primary reason that it causes weight loss is still calorie reduction.
One study compared a low-fat diet to a high-fat diet during 12 weeks of calorie restriction. All meal plans restricted calories by 30%.
As the graph shows, there was no significant difference between the two diets when calories were strictly controlled.
Most other studies that are isocaloric, as in when calories are controlled in both groups, show that weight loss on low-carb and low-fat diets is the same.
That being said, when people are allowed to eat until fullness, they usually lose much more fat on a very low-carb diet, because the diet suppresses appetite.
5. Weight Loss is the Same on 4 Different Calorie-Matched Diets
This study confirms some of the research above, testing four different calorie-restricted diets over a two-year period (13Trusted Source).
All four groups lost between 7.9 and 8.58 lbs (3.6 to 3.9 kgs), which is very similar. The researchers also found no differences in waist circumference between groups.
Interestingly, this study found that there was no difference in weight loss when carbs ranged from 35% to 65% of total calorie intake (13Trusted Source).
This study demonstrates the benefits of a reduced-calorie diet on weight loss, regardless of the diet’s macronutrient breakdown.
It is commonly recommended that people eat 500 fewer calories than they need in order to lose weight. This approach is commonly used in the weight loss and fitness industries.
The study above looked at the effectiveness of counting calories, and whether it helped participants lose more weight (14Trusted Source).
As you can see in the graph, there was a strong correlation between the number of days participants tracked calorie intake and the amount of weight they lost.
Compared to those who did not pay close attention to calories, individuals who tracked their calorie intake lost nearly 400% more weight (14Trusted Source).
This shows the benefits of monitoring your calorie intake. Awareness of your eating habits and calorie intake is important for long-term weight loss.
7. Daily Activity Levels and Calorie Expenditure Have Decreased
Along with increased calorie intake, evidence also strongly suggests that people are less physically active than before (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
This creates what is known as an “energy gap,” or a difference between calories consumed and calories burned.
Interestingly, research shows that obese people are significantly less physically active than those who are lean.
This doesn’t just apply to formal exercise, but also non-exercise activity such as standing. One study found that lean people stood for about 152 minutes longer each day than people with obesity (17Trusted Source).
The researchers concluded that if those with obesity were to match the lean group’s activity levels, they could burn an additional 350 calories per day.
This and other studies suggest that a reduction in physical activity is also a primary driver of weight gain and obesity, along with increased calorie intake (5Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
Calories Matter, That is a Fact
The current data strongly supports the idea that increased calorie intake can account for the current obesity epidemic.
Studies also show that reducing calories causes weight loss, regardless of diet composition.
If you’re confused about whether calorie counting is effective or not, then you’re definitely not alone.
Some insist that counting calories is useful because they believe losing weight boils down to the concept of calories in versus calories out.
Others believe that calorie counting is outdated, doesn’t work and often leaves people heavier than when they started. Both sides claim their ideas are supported by science, which only makes matters more confusing.
This article takes a critical look at the evidence to determine whether counting calories works.
What is a calorie?
A calorie is defined as the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1°C.
Calories are normally used to describe the amount of energy your body gets from what you eat and drink.
Calories can also be used to describe the amount of energy your body needs to perform physical tasks including:
breathing
thinking
maintaining your heartbeat
The amount of energy provided by foods is normally recorded in thousands of calories, or kilocalories (kcal).
For instance, one carrot generally provides you with 25,000 calories, or 25 kcal. On the other hand, running on the treadmill for 30 minutes generally requires you to use 300,000 calories, or 300 kcal.
However, because “kilocalories” is an awkward word to use, people often use the term “calories” instead.
For the purposes of this article, the common term “calorie” will be used to describe kilocalories (kcal).
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How does your body use calories?
If you’re wondering why calories matter, here’s a quick overview of how your body uses them.
It begins with what you eat. Food is where your body gets the calories it needs to function.
During digestion, your body breaks down the foods you eat into smaller units.
These subunits can either be used to build your own tissues or to provide your body with the energy it needs to meet its immediate needs.
The amount of energy your body gets from the subunits depends on where they come from:
Carbs: 4 calories per gram
Protein: 4 calories per gram
Fat: 9 calories per gram
Alcohol: 7 calories per gram
Your body uses the calories produced from metabolizing these nutrients to power three main processes, which are listed below (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).
Your body will use most calories to perform basic functions, such as providing energy to your:
brain
kidneys
lungs
heart
nervous system
The amount of energy required to support these functions is referred to as your basal metabolic rate (BMR). It makes up the largest proportion of your total daily energy requirements (1Trusted Source).
6. Digestion
Your body will use part of the calories you consume to help you digest and metabolize the foods you eat.
This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF) and varies based on the foods you eat. For instance, protein requires slightly more energy to be digested, whereas fat requires the least (3Trusted Source).
About 10–15% of the calories you get from a meal will be used to support the TEF (3Trusted Source).
5. Physical activity
The remainder of the calories you get from foods fuel your physical activity.
This includes both your everyday tasks and your workouts. Therefore, the total number of calories needed to cover this category can vary from day to day and person to person.
You need a calorie deficit to lose weight
Once your body’s immediate energy needs are met, any excess energy is stored for future use.
Some of it is stored as glycogen in your muscles, but most will be stored as fat.
On the other hand, if the calories you get from your diet are insufficient to cover your immediate needs, your body is forced to draw on its energy stores to compensate.
It’s important to make the distinction between quantity and quality. Even foods that have the same quantity of calories can be of different nutritional quality and can have very different effects on your health (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).
For example, eating 100 calories worth of donuts may not diminish your hunger as effectively as eating 100 calories from apples.
Therefore, a donut may make you more likely to overeat later in the day, preventing you from achieving the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
Why it may seem like calories don’t matter for weight loss
Biologically speaking, a calorie deficit is always needed to lose weight. There’s no way around it.
Yet, many people claim that, when you’re trying to lose weight, what you eat is more important than how much you eat.
This claim is generally fueled by studies in which participants on low-carb diets appeared to lose more weight than those on high-carb diets, despite eating as many or even more total calories (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).
At first glance, these studies seem to suggest that a calorie deficit is not needed for weight loss. They are often used as proof that calorie counting is useless.
However, this is a poor interpretation of the evidence for the following three reasons.
4. People are bad at estimating what they eat
Many studies rely on participant food diaries rather than direct measurements to determine how many calories they eat or burn through physical activity.
Unfortunately, food and activity journals are notorious for being highly inaccurate.
In fact, studies report that participants generally underestimate how much they eat by up to 45% and can underreport their calorie intake by as much as 2,000 calories per day.
Similarly, people tend to overestimate how much they move by up to 51%. This holds true even in cases where participants are paid to be accurate (29, 30, 31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).
Even dietitians fall short when they’re asked to report their calorie intake accurately, although to a lesser extent than non-nutrition professionals (34Trusted Source).
3. Low-carb diets are higher in protein and fat
Low-carb diets are, by default, higher in protein and fat, which can make you feel fuller.
Protein also requires slightly more energy to digest than carbs and fat, which can contribute to the energy deficit needed for weight loss, at least to a certain extent (3Trusted Source).
2. Studies often measure weight loss rather than fat loss
Many studies only report the total amount of weight lost, without specifying whether this weight came from loss of fat, muscle or water.
Low-carb diets are known to reduce the body’s carb stores. Since carbs are normally stored together with water in your cells, lowering your body’s carb stores inevitably leads to water weight loss (39Trusted Source).
This may make it appear as though low-carb diets help participants lose fat more quickly than they do.
1. Studies controlling for these three factors put the myth to rest
To truly settle the debate on whether calories matter for weight loss, look at evidence solely from studies that control for the above three factors.
A recent review reports that weight loss programs incorporating calorie counting led participants to lose around 7 pounds (3.3 kg) more than those that didn’t. It seems that the more consistently you do the recording, the better (46Trusted Source, 47, 48Trusted Source, 49Trusted Source).
For instance, one study reports that participants who monitored everything they ate for 12 weeks lost twice as much weight as those who monitored less frequently.
In comparison, those who didn’t monitor at all actually gained weight (47).
There are three reasons why calorie counting works:
Tracking your calories can help you identify which eating patterns you need to modify to successfully lose weight (50Trusted Source).
Despite its lack of precision, tracking what you eat can give you an approximate baseline to work from and compare to when you’re trying to reduce the total number of calories you eat per day.
Finally, keeping track of what you eat can help you monitor your behavior. This may help keep you accountable for the daily choices you make and motivate you to continue progressing toward your goals.
What really matters is your ability to create and sustain the energy deficit needed to lose weight, even if you’re not actively aware of how the deficit is achieved.
Calorie counting is simply a tool that some may find useful.
The best ways to keep track of what you eat
If you’re interested in counting calories, there are several ways to go about it.
All involve recording what you eat, whether on paper, online, or in a mobile app.
According to studies, the method you pick doesn’t really matter, so it’s most effective to pick the one you personally prefer (54Trusted Source, 55Trusted Source).
You can somewhat counteract your natural tendency to inaccurately estimate how many calories you eat by using scales and measuring cups. These can help you measure food portions more accurately.
You might also want to try using the following visual guidelines to estimate your portion sizes. They’re less accurate, but useful if you have limited access to a scale or measuring cups:
1 cup: a baseball or your closed fist
4 ounces (120 grams): a checkbook, or the size and thickness of your hand, including the fingers
3 ounces (90 grams): a deck of cards or the size and thickness of the palm of your hand minus the fingers
1.5 ounces (45 grams): a lipstick or the size of your thumb
1 teaspoon (5 ml): your fingertip
1 tablespoon (15 ml): three fingertips
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that counting calories only allows you to evaluate your diet from a quantity perspective. It says very little about the qualityof what you eat.
When it comes to health, 100 calories from apples will affect your health differently than 100 calories from donuts.
Therefore, avoid picking foods solely based on their calorie content. Instead, make sure you also consider their vitamin and mineral contents. You can do so by favoring whole, minimally processed foods.
