Vegan diets are much more effective at losing weight than Mediterranean diets, according to a groundbreaking new study.
The Mediterranean diet has long been the subject of many studies, especially for its health benefits. For this reason, many consider the Mediterranean diet to be one of the best options for losing weight and improving health, but it may not be the ideal choice.
The vegan diet offers many more benefits than the Mediterranean diet.
That’s according to a recent study by the US Medical Accountability Commission. The results of the study show that the new vegan diet actually offers more benefits than the Mediterranean diet.
Specifically, scientists asked two groups of overweight people (with no history of diabetes) to follow a low-fat vegan diet (eliminate animal products, focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, raw ingredients and legumes) or a Mediterranean diet according to the PREDIMED Diet (focus on fruits, vegetables, beans, fish, low-fat milk and whole virgin olive oil, limit red meat , saturated fat) within 16 weeks.
Participants had no calorie restrictions and did not need to change their exercise habits or take any medications.
After the first 16 weeks of the designated diet, participants spent 4 weeks eating their usual diet and then switched to the reverse diet form. In other words, vegans will switch to Mediterranean cuisine and vice versa.
After analyzing the results, the randomized crossover study found that the vegan diet had more benefits in terms of weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity, and visceral fat consumption.
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The vegan group lost an average of 5.9kg while the Mediterranean group did not appear to lose at all. On the weight lost, the vegan group recorded about 3.4 kg more fat loss than the other group. Likewise, the vegetarian group also had a decrease in visceral fat of about 315 cc.
The vegan diet is also associated with significant reductions in blood cholesterol levels, including total and LDL cholesterol levels of 18.7 mg / dL and 15.3 mg / dL, respectively. In contrast, the Mediterranean group did not record any significant change.
However, the Mediterranean diet had a different benefit from a vegan diet, with a greater drop in blood pressure at 6.0 mm Hg compared to 3.2 mmHg.
Study author Dr Neal Barnard said: “While many believe the Mediterranean diet is one of the best ways to lose weight, it actually failed the experiment. In a randomized controlled trial, the Mediterranean diet did not help with weight loss. On the contrary, the vegan diet is low in fat, resulting in greater and more stable weight loss. “
“Previous studies have suggested that Mediterranean and vegan diets improve body weight,” said study author Dr Hana Kahleova and director of clinical research. And cardiovascular risk factors But so far their relative effectiveness has not been compared in a randomized trial testing diets directly and finding that the vegan diet is more effective in improving health indicators and promoting weight loss “.
The authors note that the vegan diet is more effective for weight loss because it reduces calorie intake, increases fiber intake, reduces fat intake, and reduces saturated fat intake.
“If your goal is to lose weight or be healthier in 2021, choosing a plant-based diet is a great way to achieve your goal,” says Dr. Kahleova.
