A doctor has responded to a video of a woman claiming she started adding seeds to her water after seeing another woman lose weight in just three days.
Dr Karan Raj, known on TikTok as @dr.karanr, explained that while there is some truth to this method, it’s important for people to understand why it works. And he said it was also key they knew what they need to do if their goal is to lose weight.
The seeds he referred to are chia seeds, which can be purchased from Aldi for as little as £1.39 for a 200g pack. This can be even less if you find a smaller bag.
In his informative video he explains: “If you eat chia seeds it could actually help with weight loss.
“Whilst there’s nothing uniquely special about chia seeds, this and other fibres can manipulate your microbiome, brain signals and gut hormones. Foods high in fibre tend to be some of the most satiating foods” meaning they fill you up faster.”
Foods high in fibre according to the NHS include:
- Wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix)
- Plain shredded whole grain (like Shredded wheat)
- Porridge as oats
- Wholemeal or granary breads
- Higher fibre white bread
- Wholewheat pasta
- Bulgur wheat
- Brown rice
- Potatoes with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes
- Beans, lentils or chickpeas
- Vegtables
- Fresh fruit
- Dried fruit
- Unsalted nuts
- Some seeds
He continues: “Often they’re also low in calories so you eat fewer calories while still feeling satisfied. When you eat fibre it also results in your body releasing more appetite suppressing hormones like PYY and GLP-1. Yes, the same stuff in weight loss injections but your body’s natural version.”
Not only can high fibre foods make you fuller which means less snacking, but foods high in fibre also have a “relatively high thermic effect around 20%” and according to Dr Raj, this means that for every one hundred calories of fibre consumed, “your body burns around 20 calories trying to process and digest it”. This means that “if your daily diet consists of lots of fibre this might provide some modest effect to aid in any weight loss goal”, he revelals.
Talking about the effects of some food such as brown versus white bread, he says that “the degree of food processing can have an effect” on how we lose wight meaning that if we have more high fibre, this likely means less processed food which all helps in your weight loss journey.
He however ended by saying that doesn’t mean you can’t eat white bread explaining: “This isn’t to say you shouldn’t eat white bread or anything which doesn’t have fibre but across a week, a month or even a year, consistent behavior to increase fibre consumption can play a substantial role in calorie usage and intake as well as influencing factors that regulate weights and appetite.”
