A vegan diet is more effective for weight loss than a Mediterranean diet. Vegan diet is associated with a reduction in calorie intake and increase in fiber intake.
Highlights :
- A vegan diet is more effective for weight loss than a Mediterranean diet
- Vegan diet is associated with a reduction in calorie intake, increase in fiber intake, decrease in fat consumption, and decrease in saturated fat consumption.
- A vegan diet excludes all foods containing animal products
There was no calorie limit for either group, and participants did not change exercise or medication routines unless advised to do so by their doctors.
The participants then went back to their baseline diets for a four-week “washout” period before switching to the opposite diet for 16 more weeks.
The key findings of the study are as follows -
- Participants lost an average weight of 6 kgs on the vegan diet, compared to no mean change in weight from the Mediterranean diet.
- Participants lost 3.4 kg more fat mass on the vegan diet.
- The vegan diet led to a more significant reduction in visceral fat by 315 cm3.
- The vegan diet decreased total cholesterol levels by 18.7 mg/dL and LDL cholesterol levels by 15.3 mg/dL, with no significant cholesterol changes from the Mediterranean diet.
- Blood pressure decreased more on the Mediterranean diet (6.0 mm Hg) than the vegan diet (3.2 mmHg)
The Basics of Vegan Diet
Vegans avoid eating foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs. A vegan diet is rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K, fiber, antioxidants. People following a vegan diet could miss essential nutrients-calcium, iron, vitamin B12, and omega 3 fatty acids.Study author Hana Kahleova says that while prior research has suggested that both vegan and Mediterranean diets improve cardiometabolic risk factors and body weight, their relative efficacy had not been compared in a randomized trial until now.
The authors explain that since a vegan diet is associated with a reduction in calorie intake, increase in fiber intake, decrease in fat consumption, and decrease in saturated fat consumption, it led to more significant weight loss. They added that the problem with the Mediterranean diet seems to be the inclusion of fatty fish, dairy products, and oils.
Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet
Apart from improving weight loss and cholesterol levels, a vegan diet can help- Reduce heart disease risk
- Manage diabetes
- Lower cancer risk
- Reduce pain from arthritis
References :
- A Mediterranean Diet and Low-Fat Vegan Diet to Improve Body Weight and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Randomized, Cross-over Trial - (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07315724.2020.1869625)
- The vegan diet - (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/)
- Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet - (https://www.rush.edu/news/health-benefits-vegan-diet)
- The Basics of a Vegan Diet - (https://foodinsight.org/basics-of-vegan-diet/)
Source-Medindia