Can a Vegan Diet Boost Weight Loss More Than the Mediterranean Diet? Study Finds Out
A low-fat vegan diet significantly lowers dietary acid load and supports weight loss more effectively than a Mediterranean diet, according to a new randomized crossover trial published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
“Eating acid-producing foods like meat, eggs, and dairy can increase the dietary acid load, or the amount of acids consumed, causing inflammation linked to weight gain,” says Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee and lead author of the study. “But replacing animal products with plant-based foods like leafy greens, berries, and legumes can help promote weight loss and create a healthy gut microbiome.”
The trial included 62 overweight adults who were randomly assigned to follow either a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat vegan diet for 16 weeks. After a four-week washout period, participants switched to the alternate diet for another 16 weeks. Researchers tracked participants’ dietary intake and calculated dietary acid load using two widely accepted indicators, Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP). Higher scores reflect a higher acid load, which is linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders.
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