Eating a plant-based diet has many benefits, from lowering the risk of any major disease to helping save the planet. But now there is also a growing body of evidence that a plant-based diet will help you lose weight and be healthy too, as plant-based foods are rich in nutrients, antioxidants, fiber and low in saturated fat. Now there’s a new study to add, 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 plant-based, low-fat diet versus an animal, ketogenic diet,” examined the difference between a plant-based, low-fat diet and an animal, low-carbohydrate diet, to see how each affected weight loss.
New Study Compares Plant-Based Diets to Keto Diets
The study, conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, followed 20 adults without diabetes for four consecutive weeks in the Metabolic Clinical Research Unit at the NIH Clinical Center, receiving three meals and snacks daily and the 11 men and 9 women to eat as much as they wanted. For two weeks they were fed either the plant-based, low-fat diet or the animal, low-carbohydrate keto diet, and after two weeks they switched to the alternative diet for two weeks.
While both diets resulted in weight loss, the plant-based diet allowed participants to eat more calories per day and see “significant body fat loss,” which the keto diet did not share. The plant-based dieters were just as satisfied and satisfied as the keto dieters. So all in all, they ate more and lost more body fat than when they were put on the keto plan.
“High-fat foods are thought to lead to excessive calorie intake because they contain many calories per bite. Alternatively, high-carbohydrate foods can cause large swings in blood glucose and insulin that can increase hunger and lead to overeating, ”said NIDDK Senior Investigator Kevin Hall, Ph.D., the study’s lead author. “Our study was designed to determine whether high-carb or high-fat diets result in greater calorie intake.” Scientists then compared the results of these diets on calorie intake, hormone levels, weight, and other factors.
Low-fat vegetable diet leads to less consumption of calories
The researchers found that those who followed the low-fat plant-based diet consumed 550 to 700 fewer calories per day than if they ate the low-carb keto diet. Although they ate substantially fewer calories on the plant-based, low-fat diet, the study participants reported no differences in hunger, meal enjoyment, or fullness between the two diets. In addition, the participants lost weight while on both dietary methods, but only the plant-based, low-fat diet “resulted in a significant loss of body fat.” Future research should be conducted to see how these results stack up over a longer period of time.
Ashley Shaw, a registered dietitian for Preg Appetit! Who was not involved in the study outlined these findings to us, saying, “Right now, animal-based, high-fat diets are very popular for weight loss (eg paleo), so this is positive news for those who are vegan or healthy. be vegetarian, or just want a more plant-based lifestyle and lose weight too. However, she noted that while the plant-based diet led to more body fat loss compared to the animal keto diet, those who followed the plant-based diet had less stable blood sugar levels.
The study found that there are several other benefits of eating plant-based products besides weight loss. “Those who consume the plant-based diet can consume larger portions because the food has fewer calories per gram of food compared to the animal-based food,” said Shaw, also noting that the plant-based diet was much higher in fiber, which means helps keep your appetite at bay. “This means that those who followed this diet could eat more because it had fewer calories, but they were more likely to eat smaller portions,” she added. Eating a high-fiber diet of fruits, vegetables, grains and beans is also linked to a number of positive health outcomes, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. (To learn more about fiber and its health benefits, read this article.)
A plant-based whole food is also linked to weight loss
In addition to the latest study, there are many reasons why experts believe that going vegan can help promote weight loss. “A vegan diet is rich in heart-healthy fats and fiber, which together can be very beneficial for weight loss. Polyunsaturated fats actually help the body metabolize fat for energy, while fiber makes you feel full faster and stay satisfied longer after a meal. That means smaller portions go a long way, and fewer calories are consumed, ” said Shaw, who further noted that everyone is different, and for some, a higher fat diet is better for weight loss, while others may need a diet with more carbohydrates or more protein. .
“What I like about this study is that it gives vegans / vegetarians an option, as most plant-based foods contain more carbohydrates. This proves that keto is not the only option for weight loss, and may not even be such a good option for those who consume animal foods, ”continued Shaw. An important caveat, this study was designed in a tightly controlled laboratory environment: “An important factor of this study was that the foods consumed (whether they were plant or animal) were minimally processed, something that is not so easy to achieve outside of a controlled environment, ”she said, emphasizing – on the bright side – that many who follow a plant-based diet are more likely to eat foods that are minimally processed and generally healthier than those who follow a standard American diet.
As Michele Sidorenkov, RDN warns, there are certainly some high-carb, vegan diets that are unhealthy and can lead to weight gain. “I’ve heard of the term ‘vegan junk food,’ someone who eats a lot of processed, packaged vegan foods, such as cookies and frozen snacks,” she said. “While a junk food vegan could fit into the category of eating vegan meals high in carbohydrates, they will not achieve the same weight loss or satiety as described in the research study … There are many ways someone would eat a vegan diet high in carbohydrates. can eat, and not all of them result in weight loss. “
Despite the potential for unhealthy adaptation of a plant-based regimen, as with any diet, Sidorenkov is giving vegan food the green light when it comes to weight loss. “Personally, I feel that a vegan diet can be beneficial for someone trying to lose weight if the diet is sustainable, the person feels satisfied and not deprived, and they have the right amounts of plant-based protein and carbohydrates, and healthy. fats in every meal, ”she explained.
Sample meal plan for a low-fat plant-based diet
As an example of what a nutritious day of plant-based eating could look like if you’re on a plant-based, low-fat diet, Shaw recommends the following:
Breakfast: Tropical smoothie with frozen mango and pineapple chunks, banana, baby spinach, hemp hearts and nut milk of your choice. (We love this refreshing mango and banana smoothie recipe.)
Lunch: Sprouted multigrain bread with nut butter and strawberry slices sprinkled with chia seeds
Dinner: Homemade burrito bowl with black beans and brown rice with Tex-Mex spices on a bed of lettuce topped with avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeño and salsa.
Snacks: Peanut butter or almond butter with apple slices; hummus with carrot and celery stalks; guacamole and pepper strips.
Bottom Line: To lose weight and keep it off, switch to a plant-based diet rich in unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.