These 6 Foods Lowered Weight, Blood Pressure, and Bad Cholesterol in a Study

When the stress of life takes over, it’s easy to reach for our favorite comfort foods—even the ones we know aren’t necessarily all that good for us. But with obesity now affecting at least one out of every five American adults, according to health experts, weight-loss solutions such as GLP-1s continue to grow in popularity.

Given what we know about how extra weight can affect blood pressure and cholesterol, it makes sense that many are looking for the best ways to shed a few pounds in hopes of better health. New research suggests it could be as simple as focusing more on certain “good” foods—and limiting others.

The study, published earlier this month in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Endocrine Disorders, was done by a team of international researchers from five countries. They included 304 individuals with obesity in the study, who ranged in ages from 18 to 65.

Data was collected from the participants for 13 months, and each individual had body measurements and weight taken, blood pressure readings, a diet evaluation, and blood testing.

For the diet assessment, participants used a questionnaire to evaluate “habitual dietary patterns” over the span of a year. From there, a Dietary Obesity Prevention Score (DOPS) “was calculated based on previous researches.”

According to the study’s authors, DOPS was originally developed as a method of evaluating the overall quality of someone’s diet “in relation to the prevention of obesity.” The DOPS gives positive scores for “healthy food items with weight-reducing effects,” while negative scores are tied to “unhealthy food items with weight-increasing effects.”

The healthier foods highlighted in the study included:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Legumes
• Yogurt
• Nuts
• Fishes

Additionally, a good vegetable-to-animal protein ratio was deemed essential. Past research has suggested that a 1:2 plant-to-animal protein ratio (in other words, one type of plant protein for every two types of animal protein in someone’s diet) is ideal for preventing cardiovascular disease.

However, the following were listed as unhealthy food options:

• Red meat
• Processed meat
• Saturated animal fats
• Refined grains
• Ultra-processed foods
• Sugary beverages
• Beer and spirits

“A higher DOPS indicates a diet that aligns more closely with recommendations that support a healthy weight, while a lower score suggests dietary habits that may predispose individuals to weight gain,” remarked the research team.

In the end, researchers found that individuals who ate more of the obesity-preventing food options had lower risks of obesity and excessive body fat. Additionally, these results aligned with “a more favorable metabolic profile” in connection to lower blood pressure and reduced LDL cholesterol levels.

Higher serum albumin concentrations were also reported—the study says albumin, which is a key protein made in the liver, “is an important marker of nutritional status and overall metabolic health.”

The study recommends additional research could be done on the “potential health benefits of DOPS and its potential role in the prevention and management of metabolic disorders,” which includes cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and diabetes.

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