Several studies have shown that eating a vegan diet cuts the chances of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes, while boosting the immune system and health in general, writes James Witts.
Well, to that you can now add it’s a potent fat-burner, with a recent study revealing it banished 13 pounds compared to subjects who followed a Mediterranean diet, who didn’t lose an ounce. Why, say the authors, is down to the low-acid nature of vegan foods dampening inflammation and stimulating weight-loss to banish belly fat.
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“Eating acid-producing foods like meat, eggs and dairy can increase the dietary acid load, or the amount of acid consumed, causing inflammation linked to weight gain,” said lead author, Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in the USA. “Replacing animal products with alkaline plant-based foods like leafy greens, berries and legumes can help promote weight loss.”
Sixty-two overweight individuals were included in the trial and randomly assigned to follow a Mediterranean or a low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks, followed by a four-week washout period (where they eat normally) before switching to the other diet.
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As many Countryfile readers will know, a Mediterranean diet comprises fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and, in this case, white meat over red meat. For the purposes of this study, 50g of olive oil was used daily. The low-fat vegan diet comprised vegetables, grains, legumes and fruits.
Each of the 62 subjects were told to keep dietary records to calculate dietary acid load. This, the study said, is commonly associated by two scores: Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP). A higher score suggests a higher acidic load.
The researchers calculated that both the PRAL and NEAP scores dropped markedly when on the low-fat vegan diet with no significant change with the more acidic Mediterranean diet. This drop in acidic load was associated with less inflammation and improved metabolism, so that the body processed the foods more proficiently. Even after adjusting for differences in energy intake, the authors showed a loss of 13.2lbs or nearly one stone.
If you’re looking to banish a little belly fat in search of your beach body, the authors cited a list of alkalising foods that include: vegetables, particularly leafy greens, broccoli, beets, asparagus, garlic, carrots and cabbage; fruits, such as berries, apples, cherries and apricots; legumes, like lentils, chickpeas, peas, beans and soy; and grains, such as quinoa and millet.
