Do you like donuts? Over the age of 50 your weight is in increased danger

The thousands of calories lurking in Hanukkah donuts are especially dangerous in the sixth decade of life: researchers who tested hundreds of users in Israel and around the world found that the body handles carbohydrates less well, especially after the age of 50. The result: an increased risk of obesity.

The metabolic health company Lumen, which examined data from 2,700 users in Israel and around the world, found that age and weight affect the way the body digests carbohydrates. An average donut contains between 300 and 400 calories and 40 to 50 grams of carbohydrates, depending on the size and filling of the donut. This amount of a single donut constitutes about 20%-30% of the recommended daily amount for an average person.

According to the report, people under the age of 50 manage to extract energy from the carbohydrates in the donut in a faster and more efficient way, with an increase of about 20%-30% in metabolic activity. On the other hand, in people over the age of 50, the process is slower with an increase of about 10% alone in the metabolic activity, which makes it difficult for the body to deal with the amount of carbohydrates, and causes a higher chance that they will turn into fat.

Body weight also plays an important role: people with a normal weight were able to digest the carbohydrates in the donut more efficiently. Their body responded actively after eating and increased metabolic activity by about 30%, meaning it used carbohydrates more quickly for energy and stored less as fat.

In contrast, in people with significant excess weight (BMI higher than 30), the body hardly increased metabolic activity (less than 5%), meaning it took longer to process the carbohydrates, which meant that a large portion of them were stored as fat.

Metabolic flexibility is the body’s ability to switch between using carbohydrates and fats as an energy source, depending on its needs. When we eat foods like donuts, the body tries to use the energy from the carbohydrates quickly, but not everyone works the same way.

People with good metabolic flexibility efficiently use carbohydrates for energy production, while for others, with low flexibility, it is more difficult. This can cause the carbohydrates to be stored as fat and even make you feel tired.

Metabolic flexibility is affected by factors such as diet, fitness and age, and is important for maintaining weight and good health. The study used a Lumen device that allows measuring this condition with the help of exhalation and provided insights into the burning of the carbohydrate fats or their combination.

“The report’s data show how important metabolic flexibility is when it comes to eating high-carbohydrate foods,” explains Dr. Merav MoorePhD student in physiology from the Lumen company, “People with high metabolic flexibility are able to process carbohydrates efficiently and use them for energy production, which prevents their accumulation as fat.

In contrast, people with low metabolic flexibility find it difficult to make this transition in the body, which leads to the storage of carbohydrates as fat and feelings of heaviness and even lack of weight control. The meaning is that it is not just about eating the donut itself, but the body’s ability to deal with the metabolic challenges it poses. The good news is that metabolic flexibility is not a fixed figure – it is affected by the way we live.

Through lifestyle changes, such as dietary adjustments, strict exercise, adequate sleep and stress management, the body’s ability to deal with such foods can be significantly improved. This way you can enjoy the holidays and the special foods without fearing negative effects on weight or health.’