There are a lot of benefits to eating a plant-based diet, from reducing the risk of suffering from any major illness to helping saving the planet. But now there is also growing evidence that a plant-based diet will help you lose weight and stay healthy, as plant foods are rich in nutrients, antioxidants and fiber and are low in saturated fats. There is now a new study to add to this: that plant-based diets are more effective for long-term weight loss than the keto diet. Published in the magazine Nature medicine, the study, “Effect of a low-fat, plant-based diet versus an animal-based ketogenic diet,” investigated the difference between a low-fat, plant-based diet and an animal-based low-carb diet, for see how each affected weight loss.
A new study compares vegetable diets with Keto diets
Conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the study tracked 20 adults without diabetes for four consecutive weeks in the Metabolic Clinical Research Unit of the NIH Clinical Center, providing them with three meals and daily snacks and allowing 11 men and 9 women to eat as much as they wanted. For two weeks, they received the plant-based low-fat diet or the animal-based, low-carbohydrate keto diet, and after 2 weeks, switched to the alternative diet for two weeks.
Although both diets led to weight loss, the plant-based diet allowed participants to eat more calories a day and see a “significant loss of body fat,” which the keto diet did not share. Herbal dietitians were as satisfied and satiated as keto dieters. So ultimately, they ate more and lost more body fat than when they put on the keto plan.
“Fat-rich foods are believed to result in an excess of calorie intake because they have a lot of calories per bite. Alternatively, foods high in carbohydrates can cause large changes in blood glucose and insulin that can increase hunger and lead to overeating, ”said Kevin Hall, senior researcher at NIDDK, lead author of the study. study was designed to determine whether high-carbohydrate or high-fat diets lead to higher calorie intake. “Scientists compared the results of these diets on calorie intake, hormone levels, weight and other factors. .
A low-fat plant-based diet leads to fewer calories consumed
The researchers found that those on a low-fat plant-based diet consumed 550 to 700 fewer calories a day than when they ate the low-carb keto diet. Although they ate substantially fewer calories on the plant-based low-fat diet, “study participants did not report differences in hunger, meal enjoyment, or fullness between the two diets. In addition, participants lost weight while on these two dietary approaches, but only the plant-based, low-fat diet “resulted in significant loss of body fat.” Future research would be needed to see how these results stack up over a longer period of time.
Ashley Shaw, a registered dietitian at Preg Appetit !, who was not associated with the research, broke down these findings, saying that “currently, animal-based high-fat diets are very popular for losing weight (i.e., keto , paleo), so this is positive news for those who are vegan or vegetarian, or just want a more plant-based lifestyle and also want to lose weight. ” However, he noted that while the plant-based diet led to greater loss of body fat compared to the animal-based keto diet, those on the plant-based diet had less stable blood sugar.
The study found that there were several other benefits to eating herbal food, beyond weight loss. “Those who consume a plant-based diet can consume larger portions because foods have fewer calories per gram of food compared to foods of animal origin,” said Shaw, who also noted that the plant-based diet it contained a lot more fiber, which helps keep your appetite at bay. “This means that while those on this diet might eat more because it has fewer calories, they were actually more likely to eat smaller portions,” he added. Eating a high-fiber diet from fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans is also linked to a variety of positive health outcomes, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. (For more information on fiber and its health benefits, see this article.)
At Whole-Foods, a plant-based product is also linked to weight loss
Beyond the latest study, there are many reasons why experts believe that being vegan can help promote weight loss. “A vegan diet is rich in heart-healthy fats and fiber, which together can be extremely beneficial for weight loss. Polyunsaturated fats actually help the body metabolize fats for energy, while fiber makes you feel fuller faster and be satisfied longer after a meal. That means smaller portions go a long way and fewer calories are consumed, ”Shaw said, further commenting that everyone is different, and for some, a higher-fat diet is better for losing weight, while d others may need a diet higher in carbohydrates or with more protein.
“What I like about this study is that it gives vegetarians a choice, as most plant-based foods are richer in carbohydrates. This shows that keto is not the only option to go down from weight, and maybe it’s not even that good for those who consume animal foods, ”Shaw continued. One of the most important warnings, this study was designed in a tightly controlled laboratory environment: “One of the main factors in this study was that the food consumed (whether vegetable or animal) was processed minimally, which is not the case. so easy to get out of a controlled environment, ”he said, noting – as an advantage – that many who follow plant-based diets are more likely to eat minimally processed foods and generally healthier than those who eat a standard American diet. .
As Michele Sidorenkov, RDN, warns, there are certain carbohydrate-rich vegetarian diets that are unhealthy and can lead to weight gain. “I’ve heard of the term‘ vegan junk food, ’which is a person who consumes a lot of processed and packaged vegan foods, such as cookies and frozen snacks,” he said. “While a junk food vegan might fit into the carbohydrate-rich vegetable food category, you won’t get the same weight loss or satiety described in the research study … There are many ways in which someone you can eat a vegan diet high in carbs, and not all of them cause weight loss. “
Despite the potential for unhealthy adaptation of a plant diet, as with any diet, Sidorenkov gives the green light to vegan food when it comes to losing weight. “Personally, I think a vegan diet can be beneficial for someone trying to lose weight if the diet is sustainable, the person feels satisfied and doesn’t feel deprived and includes the right amounts of vegetable protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. at every meal, ”he explained.
Sample meal plan for a low-fat plant-based diet
For an example of what a nutritious vegetable food day might be like following a low-fat, plant-based diet, Shaw recommends the following:
To have breakfast: Tropical smoothie with pieces of frozen mango and pineapple, banana, baby spinach, hemp hearts and nut milk. (We love this refreshing mango and banana smoothie recipe).
Lunch: Sprouted multigrain bread with walnut butter and strawberry slices sprinkled with chia seeds
Dinner: Homemade burritos bowl with black beans and brown rice with Tex-Mex spices on a bed of lettuce covered in avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeño and sauce.
Snacks: Peanut butter or almond butter with apple slices; hummus with carrot and celery sticks; strips of guacamole and pepper.
Bottom line: To lose weight and keep it off, switch to a plant-rich diet rich in whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.