Mixed
Short-to-moderate-term plant-based diets (≤24 months) significantly improve metabolic health outcomes, including weight loss, glycemic control, and lipid profiles, compared to conventional omnivorous diets in healthy, obese, and type-2 diabetic populations.
Adopting a plant-based diet (vegan or vegetarian) for 3 to 24 months is a highly effective strategy for improving metabolic health, including weight loss and better blood sugar and lipid control, especially if you are overweight or have type 2 diabetes. Focus on whole plant foods and compare your results to your previous omnivorous diet; the evidence strongly supports this shift for short-to-moderate term health gains.
We found robust evidence for short- to moderate-term beneficial effects of plant-based diets versus conventional diets (duration ≤ 24 months) on weight status, energy metabolism and systemic inflammation in healthy participants, obese and type-2 diabetes patients.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review of 32 interventional human studies, though heterogeneity exists and long-term data is lacking.
Source
The effects of plant-based diets on the body and the brain: a systematic review
Evelyn Medawar et al. · Translational Psychiatry · 2019
DOI 10.1038/s41398-019-0552-0
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