Mixed
Adhering to a low-fat vegan diet for 18 weeks significantly reduces body weight, LDL cholesterol, and HbA1c in overweight adults and those with type 2 diabetes compared to no dietary changes.
To lose weight and improve heart health markers, switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet for 18 weeks. You do not need to count calories; focus on eating whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits while avoiding animal products and added oils. The high fiber content helps you feel full sooner, naturally reducing your calorie intake, while the lack of animal fat improves your cholesterol levels.
Mean body weight fell 2.9 kg and 0.06 kg in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P<0.001). Total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol fell 8.0 and 8.1 mg/dl in the intervention group... HbA1C fell 0.6 percentage point... in the intervention and control group, respectively (P<0.01).
Why this rating
It is a multicenter randomized controlled trial, which is high-quality evidence, though adherence was not strictly controlled via food provision for all participants.
Source
A multicenter randomized controlled trial of a plant-based nutrition program to reduce body weight and cardiovascular risk in the corporate setting: the GEICO study
Suruchi Mishra et al. · European Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2013
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