If you’re one of the many of us who are self-rightous and pious when we successfully eat well all week then “cheat” on the weekend, well get off your high horse.
The Conversation recently published a journal article examining the impact of “yo-yo” dieting on the gut microbiota (the mix of organisms) of rats.
The study is the first to compare how continuous or irregular exposure to an unhealthy diet can impact the composition of the gut microbiota.
The study consisted of comparing the abundance of microbiota in rats given continuous access to either healthy diet or junk food, with a group cycled between the two diets — healthy for four days and junk for three — over 16 weeks.
Cycled rats showed large swings in food intake, consuming 30% more energy than those maintained on the healthy diet only.
When cycled rats switched back to a healthy diet, they consumed half as much nutritious food as those maintained on a healthy diet only.
Translating this to humans means that if you eat healthy all week, you are simply undoing all that good stuff by eating poorly on the weekend.
…But burgers.
Via The Conversation
