Cutting off all animal foods for 12 weeks may lead to weight loss and improved blood sugar control in adults who are overweight or have type 2 diabetes.
- People adopting the vegan diet can consume fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, whole grains, vegetable milks and vegetable oils.
- This diet may require vitamin B12 supplementation.
Eliminating any product from animals or their exploitation from your diet is the principle of the vegan diet. Clearly, people who follow it should no longer consume meat, dairy products, honey, eggs, fish and shellfish. When adopting this all-vegetable diet, it is advisable to be followed by a health professional, because the vegan diet can lead to several deficiencies.
In recent years, a lot of research has looked into the health effects of vegan diets. According to a recent studypresented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht (Netherlands) last week, the vegan diet can be effective in people who are overweight or diabetic in losing weight and lowering blood sugar levels. .
11 researches reviewed
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the Steno Diabetes Center in Copenhagen (Denmark) analyzed 11 studies involving 796 people, aged 48 and 61, with obesity or type 2 diabetes. This research examined the effect of an all-vegetable diet for at least 12 weeks in overweight or diabetic adults. The scientists compared the data to those of participants continuing a normal diet or volunteers following other diets (Mediterranean, portion-controlled, etc.).
A decrease in BMI and weight loss thanks to the vegan diet
According to the results, adopting the vegan diet for 12 weeks results in a weight loss of approximately 4.1 kg and a reduction in BMI of 1.38 kg/m2. The authors found that the effects on blood sugar were notable but rather small. According to the researchers, no effect of this vegan diet was observed on blood pressure, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides.
“This study provides strong evidence that adopting a vegan diet for at least 12 weeks can lead to clinically significant weight loss and improved blood sugar levels, and therefore can be used in the management of overweight and type 2 diabetes” , said Anne-Ditte Termannsen, author of the work, in a statement.
“Vegan diets likely lead to weight loss as they are associated with reduced calorie intake due to lower fat content and higher dietary fiber content. However, more evidence is needed,” she concluded.