For healthy weight loss switch over to liquid diet, finds review

CANADA: If you want to lose weight switch over to liquid meal, is the bottom line of a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The review, published in the journal Diabetes Care, has found that liquid meal replacements in weight loss diets helped diabetes patients lose an average of about five pounds more than others who tried a conventional low-calorie diet.

The evidence for liquid meal replacements in diabetes has not been summarized. John Sievenpiper of Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital, and colleagues conducted the study to synthesize the evidence of the effect of liquid meal replacements on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight/obese individuals with type 2 diabetes.

The analysis compared outcomes of patients on various diets after 24 weeks and also found liquid meal replacements contributed to better reductions of body mass index and systolic blood pressure. It was commissioned by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

"This study suggests there's one more tool for patients with diabetes to help them meet their weight-loss goals," said lead author Dr. John Sievenpiper of Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital. "This is another way to achieve weight-loss goals but I'd emphasize there is no best way. The method that's superior is the one the individual themselves is able to follow and sustain."

The median estimated dose of liquid meal replacement being used by patients represented about 20 percent of their total energy intake. This review suggests the use of liquid meal replacements within a structured dietary plan may offer a viable solution when replacing one or two meals each day and supplemented with fruits, vegetables, and nuts to achieve a targeted daily caloric intake.

"I think liquid meal replacements could be a way to get to weight loss and then work on achieving a healthier diet to maintain that weight loss," said Dr. Sievenpipe.

The review also analyzed how liquid meal replacements performed in randomized controlled trials for other factors such as body fat, waist circumference, and diastolic blood pressure but only marginal clinical significance was observed.

Based on the study the authors concluded that liquid meal replacements in weight loss diets lead to modest reductions in body weight, BMI, and systolic blood pressure, and reductions of marginal clinical significance in body fat, waist circumference, HbA_1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and diastolic blood pressure. However, more high-quality trials are needed to improve the certainty in the estimates.

For detailed study log on to http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc18-2270