by Alice Paulse; Photography by StockSnap
Is it a case of ‘a second on the lips, a lifetime on the hips’?
Sadly, the belief that you can have cheat day meals without suffering the consequences have been debunked. A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, conducted at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) and the Helmholtz Center in Munich have found that cheat days meals could turn into fat deposits. Regardless of how seldom you have a meal that has a high fat content.
Cheat Day Meals = Fat Deposits?
Eating clean all week can be tough. And it’s no secret that we all wait for that one day where we get to give clean eating the finger. Excited to stuff our faces with yummy foods like pizza, burgers, fries, doughnuts. Just anything that’s not “healthy” actually. However researchers have discovered that these high fat meals could be doing more harm and damaging your metabolism.
READ MORE: 3 Diet Cheats With Zero Consequences
The Study…
This study was conducted on 14 healthy, normal weight men, who were given a flavoured palm oil drink or a glass of water in a control experiment. The palm oil drink contained a similar amount of saturated fat as two cheeseburgers with bacon. And a large portion of French fries or two salami pizzas.
Researchers found that the once-off consumption of a greater amount of palm oil reduces the body’s sensitivity to insulin. This causes increased fat deposits as well as changes in the energy metabolism of the liver.
The saturated fatty acids rapidly affected metabolic activity increasing the fat content of the liver. This causes the reduction of glucose uptake in the muscles and adipose tissue. These changes can lead to fatty liver disease and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Prof. Dr. Michael Roden, scientist, Managing director and Chairman at the German Diabetes Center, explained that. “The surprise was that a single dosage of palm oil has such a rapid and direct impact on the liver of a healthy person and that the amount of fat administered already triggered insulin resistance”.
Plus, the changes in the energy balance of the liver were proven. The metabolic changes were similar to those observed in people who had type 2 diabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
On The Bright Side…
The researchers suspect that healthy people (you), depending on your genetic predisposition, can easily manage the direct impact fatty foods have on your metabolism. Although, if you are a more regular eater of high-fat meals; the long-term consequences can be far more challenging.
If your last diet ended with you eating all the pies, don’t worry-it’s not you, it’s the diet. Avoid any eating plan that has these traits…
