The Mediterranean diet has long been recommended by experts for overall health and weight loss – (Adam Berry/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
Health experts have praised the Mediterranean diet for years — which emphasizes fresh produce, fish, and extra virgin olive oil, among other foods — for those looking to lose weight or improve overall health.
Researchers have consistently pointed to the nutritional value of the Mediterranean diet’s meals, as well as its anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as dark leafy greens and olive oil, as reasons why it’s considered one of the healthiest dietary options for a long life.
But new research is pointing to another regimen that may yield better weight-loss results.
A new study published in Frontiers divided 62 adults into two groups. Half followed the Mediterranean diet for 16 weeks, while the other consumed a low-fat vegan diet, including grains, beans, and fresh produce.
At the end of the 16 weeks, participants resumed their regular diets for four weeks before spending another 16 weeks following the opposite regimen.
Researchers concluded that the low-fat vegan diet was more effective for weight loss.
The results were measured using the plant-based diet index (PDI) to examine how eating plant-based foods was associated with weight loss. PDI measured overall intake of plant-based foods, while hPDI represented consumption of healthful plant foods, and uPDI gauged consumption of unhealthful plant foods.
Healthful foods included fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, oils, coffee, and tea. Unhealthful items included potatoes, sweets, fruit juice, sugar-sweetened beverages, and refined grains.
The study found that participants’ PDI scores rose on the vegan diet but remained essentially unchanged on the Mediterranean diet, with higher scores indicating greater intake of plant-based foods. hPDI scores rose on both diets, while uPDI scores decreased on the Mediterranean diet but increased on the vegan diet, despite participants having lost more weight following the latter.
A new study showed that a low-fat vegan diet was more effective for weight loss than the Mediterranean diet (Getty/iStock)
The increase in PDI scores likely came from avoiding animal products, researchers noted.
“Replacing animal products even with the ‘unhealthful’ plant-based foods on a vegan diet was associated with weight loss,” researchers wrote.
“These findings suggest that replacing animal products with plant-based foods, and reducing the consumption of oil and nuts, may be successful strategies for weight loss. These foods are rich in fiber, have a lower energy density, and have been shown to stimulate glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion and enhance satiety,” researchers said.
Interestingly, GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have become increasingly popular for weight loss, as they mimic the naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone on GLP-1 receptors in the brain and gut, which help regulate hunger and leave you feeling fuller for longer.
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