Weight Loss High with Vegan Diet
35 diets evaluated for their health and weight loss benefits
What you will learn about
A recent U.S. News and World Report article cited that out of 35 different diets, a vegan diet ranked #2 in both weight loss and maintaining blood sugar balance.
Some refuted the 2nd place ranking citing that those following a vegan diet are at a lower risk of cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure as compared to any other diet. The study supporting this contention is below, reference 1. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute.
A 2015 study in Nutrition, took 50 overweight adults and put them on a variety of diets from vegan to vegetarian to pesco-vegetarian to omnivore. Again, the vegan diet came out on top yielding not only the greatest weight loss but it also optimized blood fats.
Several studies were cited comparing the vegan diet with those offered through well-known Associations, such as the American Diabetes Association.
Any “cons” of a vegan or plant-based diet?
The lack of vitamin B12 is a legitimate concern with a fully plant-based diet. Fortunately, getting adequate B12 couldn’t be simpler. Liquid B12 is pink liquid, tastes sweet, naturally, and costs mere pennies per day.
Depending upon your heritage, you may want to see what your ideal B12 support is. Those of us of Northern European descent, are often poor methylators. If so, you may need a specialized form of B12 or folate to optimize your B12 and methylation.
It’s important to know we find many patients consuming an omnivorous diet also suffering from B12 deficiency. Therefore it’s something we should all be evaluated for.
Omega 3 fatty acids
The other nutrients to be aware of are EPA and DHA. These are your omega 3 fatty acids. This deficiency is not relegated to those on a plant-based diet. There are many omnivores also deficient in omega 3s. They’re found in fish, which many Americans eat little of.
The good news is there is an available source from plants – algae specifically. Algae consumption is actually where the fish get their omega 3s and you can too! From algae, you have no worry about mercury contamination.
American Diabetes Association supports a plant-based diet
When the American Diabetes Association compared their ADA diet to a vegan one they found more than 31% greater weight loss was achieved following the vegan diet.
In another study, published in Obesity journal, the National Cholesterol Education Program found a 74% greater weight loss when the vegan diet was compared to their cholesterol lowering diet.
In addition to ranking high in weight loss and diabetes blood sugar control, the vegan diet also was shown to lower the risk of metabolic syndrome, lower blood pressure, and decrease the risk of heart disease. Please appreciate that these are the major diseases killing most Americans, not to mention “bankrupting” our healthcare system.
What about cancer and dementia risk?
The major disease missing from the above is cancer, but an Italian study from 2017 linked a vegan diet to not only reducing heart disease risk but also cancer risk.
What about dementia and Alzheimer’s? These are costly for our healthcare system as well. If you read Dr. Dale Bredesen’s book The End of Alzheimer’s he is very clear on the dietary recommendations of a plant-based diet with only occasional “condiment-sized” portions of animal protein.
What does that mean? If you put ketchup on your burger, that’s a condiment. A couple of teaspoons of ketchup or mayonnaise would be the “size” of animal protein you’d consume. In other words, a very tiny amount is all he recommends for optimal brain function and healing.
What diet won?
What was the #1 diet in the study of 35 different diets? The Mediterranean diet (really a lifestyle) won overall, with its benefits cited as an active lifestyle, a diet low in red meat, sugar, and saturated fat, while high in produce (fruits and vegetables), nuts, and other “healthful foods”. The diet has minimal animal protein and most fish. It also stresses real, whole foods, nothing processed or refined.
Can you guess which diets ranked worst?
What were the worst diets in 2020? Those lowest in good complex carbohydrates, high in meat, cheese, and animal fat were on the bottom of the list. Specifically, the paleo ranked 29th, Atkins ranked 32nd, and the keto ranked next to the bottom in 34th place.
What’s best for you?
There’s a lot of data to support the very strong health benefits of a whole food plant-based diet. Does that mean you can never ever have any animal protein? It shouldn’t have to. But it seems clear that very limited animal protein is the best way to go when optimal health is your goal.
Ultimately it’s all about what’s right for you.
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References:
https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/vegan-diets-reduce-risk-chronic-disease
https://www.pcrm.org/health-topics/diabetes
https://www.livekindly.co/vegan-diet-american-diabetes-association/
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