Eating a low fat diet has been recommended for decades. In this diet, around 30% of your daily calorie intake is fat.

However, this diet doesn’t seem to be the best diet for weight loss in the long term. It has been shown in some largest and longest studies to only cause minimal weight reductions.

Thus, many proponents of low-fat diets suggest that fat should make up no more than 10% of your daily calorie intake for the diet to be effective. So here we will decide whether or not you should eat an ultra low fat diet for weight loss.

What Is an Ultra Low Fat Diet?

An ultra low fat diet involves consuming no more than 10% of calories from fat. It also involves eating high-carb and low-protein foods, about 80% and 10% of daily calories, respectively.

This diet encourages eating mostly plant-based and limiting consumption of animal products, including meat and eggs. High fat plant foods like nuts and avocados are also off-limits.

However, this may also pose some problems considering that fat plays important functions in the body.

Fat is a macronutrient that is a major source of calories, and it helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A.  Plus, it also builds hormones and cell membranes.

What’s more, it makes food taste better; thus, an ultra low fat diet is generally not as pleasurable as those diets that involve moderate or high fat.

Nevertheless, this diet has been shown in some studies to have impressive health benefits.

Potential Health Effects

Evidence suggests that ultra low fat diets may be beneficial against obesity, diabetes, and other several conditions.

Obesity

An ultra low fat diet may be beneficial for obese individuals. In fact, it has been used to treat people who are obese, and results were impressive.

For example, obese people have been found in one study in 106 massively obese people to lose 140 pounds (63.5 kg) on average.

Eating an ultra low fat diet has also been shown to aid in weight loss without a major calorie limitation, and this may be attributed to increased fiber intake along with reduced fat.

Heart Disease

Ultra low fat diets have also been shown in studies to improve several risk factors for heart disease, including high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high C-reactive protein, which is a marker for inflammation.

One study found that out of the 177 individuals who followed the ultra low fat diet, only 1 experienced a heart-related event.

Type 2 Diabetes

Very low fat, high carb diets have also been shown in several studies to cause improvements in people with type 2 diabetes.

For instance, people with type 2 diabetes have been found in one study to experience a reduction in their fasting blood sugar levels. And 58% of those who were dependent on insulin prior to the study also stopped taking insulin.

What’s more, it has also been noted to be even more beneficial for those with diabetes who are not already dependent on insulin.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a potentially disabling autoimmune disease brain, spinal cord, and of the optic nerves in your eyes.

Fortunately, an ultra low fat diet may be beneficial to people with this condition. In fact, it has been shown in one study to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis in 150 people.

Why Do Ultra-Low-Fat Diets Improve Weight Management?

The reason why an ultra low fat diet may improve health is not yet well established.

Some argue that the diet is monotonous and bland, which may make people less inclined to eat more, potentially resulting in unintentional reduction in calorie intake.

Also, cutting calories—regardless whether you’re cutting fat or carbs—may eventually benefit your metabolic health and weight.

Ultra Low Fat Diet While Eating Out

You can still eat an ultra low fat diet even when you’re eating out.

• Just choose simply prepared foods like roasted chicken and avoid fried or sautéed foods, as well as those with heavy sauces or gravies.
• Request to have your food cooked or served without margarine, sauce, or gravy.
• For salads, make sure to ask for low-fat dressing on the side.
• For dessert, choose fruit or nonfat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream or pie.

The Takeaway

An ultra low fat diet may be beneficial for people who are obese or those suffering from serious conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.

However, following the diet in the long term may be unsustainable for some people. You may also need to limit consumption of various healthy foods, including eggs, fatty fish, unprocessed meat, and nuts.

So just because it offers several health benefits doesn’t mean it is for everyone. It’s always best to seek the advice of a healthcare professional before making any changes to your eating pattern.

Remember that losing weight goes beyond eating low fat foods. You need to also watch your calorie intake and make sure that you burn more calories than you eat.