Consuming vegetables, fruits and whole grains would stimulate the metabolic system, which would then burn calories faster. The result is weight loss, lower cholesterol and a reduced risk of diabetes.
- A plant-based diet allowed overweight participants to lose an average of 6.4 kg in 16 weeks, without restricting themselves or changing their habits.
- They also lowered their LDL cholesterol levels and their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
To lose weight and get back in shape, it is better to focus on plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains rather than meat and fish.
This is according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open by researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, an NGO based in Washington DC (USA). According to its authors, a vegetarian diet stimulates the metabolic system in overweight people, leading to weight loss and an improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors.
6.4 kg lost in 16 weeks
The study followed overweight participants with no history of diabetes for 16 weeks, randomly assigned to two groups. In the first, the volunteers followed a low-fat diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, with no calorie limit. The control group did not change their diet. Neither group changed their exercise or medication habits unless ordered to do so by their treating physician.
The researchers used a measurement tool called indirect calorimetry, which measures how many calories the participants burned after a standardized meal, at the start and end of the study. The vegetarian group increased their post-meal calorie consumption by an average of 18.7% after 16 weeks.
This did not prevent the participants from losing weight: an average of 6.4 kg lost over the period. The vegetarian group also saw their fat mass and volume of visceral fat – the dangerous fat found around internal organs – decrease significantly.
Marked cardiometabolic improvements
The researchers also measured intramyocellular and hepatocellular lipids – the fat that accumulates in muscle and liver cells and is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. fat inside the liver and muscle cells by 34% and 10%, respectively, while the control group did not experience any significant changes.
“After just 16 weeks of a plant-based, low-fat diet, study participants reduced the amount of fat in their cells and lowered their chances of developing type 2 diabetes”explains Hana Kahleova, lead author of the work.
The plant group also reduced their total cholesterol by 19.3 mg/dL and their LDL cholesterol by 15.5 mg/dL, with no significant change in the control group. “Not only did the plant group lose weight, but they also experienced cardiometabolic improvements that will reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues.”
“I intend to continue this diet for good. Not just for 16 weeks, but for life”, says Sam T., one of the participants who lost almost 7 kg. Since the study ended, he says he’s continued a plant-based diet, hit his target weight, and even started running half marathons and marathons.
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