According to a new study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a vegan diet improves diet quality, leading to decreased weight and improved insulin sensitivity. Decreased weight was most associated with increased intake of legumes and decreased intake of meat, fish, and poultry.
Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee and study co-author: “The research shows that the best way to improve the quality of your health is to improve the quality of the foods you eat. That means avoiding animal products and eating a vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans."
The participants in the 16-week study included 244 overweight adults who were randomly assigned to either make no diet changes or to follow a low-fat vegan diet, without calorie restrictions, consisting of vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits. Researchers tracked diet quality, body weight, fat mass, and insulin sensitivity. The final data analysis included 219 participants who completed the whole study and submitted their final diet records.
Participants on the vegan diet lost an average of 13 pounds and 9.1 pounds of fat mass. Body weight and fat mass did not decrease in the group that made no diet changes.
