![Following a plant-based diet can significantly lower a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or dying from cardiovascular causes, according to new research published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.[1] The study’s authors emphasized that a person can still occasionally eat meat, fish or dairy products and still see substantial benefits—the key is to keep such things to a minimum and embrace fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, teas and coffees.](/sites/default/files/styles/top_stories/public/2019-06/fruit-2305192_960_720.jpg.webp?itok=Fp0A6eiO)
Following a low-fat vegan diet can be especially beneficial for overweight and obese adults, according to new research published in JAMA Network Open.
The study’s authors recruited 244 adults with an overweight or obese BMI, and half of those individuals followed a low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks. The diet included such plant-based options as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. The other participants made no changes to their diet.
All study participants were asked to “maintain their customary exercise habits and medications unless modified by their personal physicians. Alcohol was limited to one per day for women and two per day for men.
Overall, after 16 weeks, the vegan group saw its postprandial energy expenditure, or “after-meal calorie burn,” increased by 18.7%. The control group saw no significant change. Also, the average weight loss for the vegan group was 14 pounds; for the control group, again, there was no significant change.
“These findings are groundbreaking for the 160 million Americans struggling with overweight and obesity,” first author Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), said in a prepared statement. “Over the course of years and decades, burning more calories after every meal can make a significant difference in weight management.”
The vegan group also experienced a 34% drop in the fat inside their livers and a 10% drop in the fat inside their muscle cells. Hepatocellular lipid and intramyocellular lipid, the authors explained, have been associated with both insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
“When fat builds up in liver and muscle cells, it interferes with insulin’s ability to move glucose out from the bloodstream and into the cells,” Kahleova said in the same statement. “After just 16 weeks on a low-fat, plant-based diet, study participants reduced the fat in their cells and lowered their chances for developing type 2 diabetes.”
The PCRM helped fund this research, and numerous authors reported receiving compensation or outside feeds from the group. However, the authors emphasized, “the funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study.”
The full study is available here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.