Fruits, Vegetables Rich in Flavonoids Helps in Weight Loss; Check out the List Here

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Fad diet for weight loss? Why not try a healthier alternative, instead?

An extensive study, which was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, suggests that a diet replete with foods rich in flavonoids, a bioactive compounds found mostly in fruits and vegetables, is associated with less weight gain.

"Increased consumption of most flavonoid subclasses, including flavonols, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, and flavonoid polymers, was inversely associated with weight change over four year time intervals, after adjustment for simultaneous changes in other lifestyle factors including other aspects of diet, smoking status, and physical activity," the researchers wrote in the results of the study.

Of the aforementioned subclasses of flavonoids, researchers found that the association between these natural compounds and weight loss is most evident in anthocyanins. The list of fruits and vegetables rich in this type of flavonoid includes strawberries, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, radishes and blackcurrants, says CNN.

The increase intake of flavonoid polymers and flavonols were also found to be associated with less weight gain. The former can be found in apples and green tea, while the latter is present in tea and onions.

For the study, the researchers evaluated more than 124, 000 American men and women from three cohorts study --- the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) which started in 1986, Nurses' Health Study (NHS) which started in 1976, and the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) which started 1989. The participants were followed for up to a study period of 24 years.

The findings of the study showed that, for each set increase in anthocyanins (10mg), flavonoid polymers (138mg) and flavonols (7mg), there was about 70 to 100g less weight gained over an interval period of four years each. And, on the average, the participants also gained 1 to 2 kgs over each period.

"It would be unwise to take this study as advice to only eat berries or apples, as a balanced diet containing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables remains important for overall health," according to NHS UK. "Nonetheless, the study is broadly in line with more robust evidence suggesting you should consume at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day to reduce your risk of a variety of diseases."

The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The research team involved came from the Chan School of Public Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School from the United States, and the Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia from the United Kingdom.