Hormonal
Adhering to a low-fat vegan diet significantly reduces dietary acid load (measured by PRAL and NEAP), which is independently associated with greater reductions in body weight, fat mass, and visceral fat compared to a control diet, even after adjusting for energy intake.
To lose fat and improve metabolic health, focus on a whole-food, plant-based diet that is low in fat. This approach naturally lowers your dietary acid load, which the study links to better insulin sensitivity and greater fat loss than just counting calories. You don't need to count calories strictly, but you should avoid animal products and added oils, and ensure you take a B12 supplement.
After adjustment for energy intake, changes in PRAL and NEAP correlated positively with changes in body weight (r = +0.37; p < 0.001; and r = +0.37; p < 0.001, respectively), fat mass (r = +0.32; p < 0.001; and r = +0.32; p < 0.001, respectively), visceral fat (r = +0.19; p = 0.006; and r = +0.15; p = 0.03, respectively)... In the regression analysis, every decrease of 10 units in PRAL was associated with a weight loss of 0.75 kg (unadjusted) and 0.69 kg (after adjustment for energy intake).
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a large sample size (n=244) and objective measures (DXA, HOMA-IR), though self-reported diet records are a limitation.
Source
A plant-based diet in overweight adults in a 16-week randomized clinical trial: The role of dietary acid load
Hana Kahleová et al. · Clinical Nutrition ESPEN · 2021
DOI 10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.05.015
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