A new four-month study has shown that switching to a low-fat vegan diet can lead to more effective weight loss than even the popular Mediterranean diet. Scientists associate this with a decrease in the acid load on the body and a reduction in inflammation. This is reported by UNN with reference to Independent.
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The study involved 62 overweight adults. For 16 weeks, they followed either a Mediterranean diet (with fish, dairy, eggs, and meat) or a vegan diet (without animal products). After a month-long break, the participants swapped diets.
The results showed that eliminating animal products helps reduce acid load — a key factor in combating inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with weight gain.
Consuming acid-producing foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy can increase dietary acid load or the amount of acids consumed, which causes inflammation associated with weight gain.
— noted co-author of the study Hana Kahleova.
Positive changes in the participants’ bodies were more pronounced during the vegan phase.
But replacing animal products with plant-based foods such as leafy greens, berries, and legumes can promote weight loss and create a healthy gut microbiome.
— explained Dr. Kahleova.
According to the researchers, the acid load practically did not change on the Mediterranean diet, while on the vegan diet, it significantly decreased, and this was associated with weight loss, which did not depend only on the amount of calories consumed.
On average, participants on a vegan diet lost 5 kg — significantly more than those who followed a Mediterranean diet. Scientists also recommend consuming more foods with an alkaline effect, including vegetables (cabbage, carrots, beets, broccoli, asparagus), legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), grains (quinoa, millet), and fruits (apples, berries, cherries, apricots, melons).
The alkaline effect of a vegan diet may be an independent mechanism by which a vegan diet promotes weight loss.
— concluded the authors of the study.
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