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Vegan diet is better for weight loss than Mediterranean one, study finds
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the best eating plans for a healthy life, but there is something better if weight loss is your goal.
A new study has found that the vegan diet is actually a better option for shedding those pounds, although both have significant health benefits.
Vegan diet better for weight loss
The research, conducted by the Physicians Comittee and published in the Frontiers Journal, compared the effects of a Mediterranean and a low-fat vegan diet on a harmful compound called dietary advanced glycation end-products (AGE’s) and body weight.
They assigned 62 overweight adults either a Mediterranean or a low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks and found that the participants lost 6kg on average on the vegan diet, compared with no change in weight at all on the Mediterranean diet.
On the vegan diet, AGEs also decreased by 73%, compared with no change for the Mediterranean group. AGEs are formed when protein or fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream and high levels are linked with many health conditions including Alzheimers, diabetes and heart disease.
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“The study helps bust the myth that a Mediterranean diet is best for weight loss,” says lead study author Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “Choosing a low-fat vegan diet that avoids the dairy and oil so common in the Mediterranean diet helps reduce intake of harmful advanced glycation end-products leading to significant weight loss.”
Weight loss isn’t the only benefit of being vegan either. Another new study has also found that switching to a vegan diet can help you age slower!
Mediterranean diet vs vegan diet
The Mediterranean and vegan diets are similar with a few key differences.
Popular in Italy, Greece and Spain, the Mediterranean diet consists of plant-based foods and healthy fats, with lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Animal products can be consumed in moderation including poultry, eggs, dairy and seafood. Red meats can only be eaten very occasionally.
In comparison, a vegan diet similarly revolves around plant-based foods, with lots of vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits. However, no animal products are allowed to be consumed at all. That means no meat, dairy, eggs or products that are derived from animals like honey and foods that contain gelatin.
Both have huge health benefits
While the vegan diet may be better for weight loss, both have significant health benefits as they revolve around good nutrition.
Eating a healthy and balanced diet helps people live longer and lowers the risk of problems like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, some cancers and obesity, MedlinePlus explains.
Good nutrition involves regularly choosing healthy foods and drinks that give your body the energy and nutrients that you need including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. It’s important to eat less healthy foods in moderation.
The main part of a healthy diet plan is eating a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products. MedlinePlus also says eating lean meats, such as poultry and fish, and low-fat dairy products are important.
You need to ensure you are getting enough fiber, drinking lots of water and limiting salt, sugar, alcohol and saturated fat too.
