Diets rich in plant-based foods contribute to weight loss and improved health. The study was published on: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The trial involved 223 overweight people, half of whom followed a low-fat diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains for 16 weeks; The control group made no changes to their diet.
Over 16 weeks, participants in the diet group lost an average of 5.9 kg of weight, due primarily to reductions in visceral and subcutaneous fat (4.1 kg) rather than muscle mass.
Analysis of the data showed that vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains provide the best contribution to weight loss. Minimizing consumption of animal products, vegetable oils, refined grains, sweets, tea and coffee, meat, seafood, eggs and dairy has been associated with better health outcomes.
Previous experiment on twins showedthat a vegan diet improves cardiovascular health.