New research published in Frontiers in Nutrition has shown that overweight adults who adopt a low-fat vegan diet are likely to lose more weight than those on a Mediterranean diet, possibly due to the increased dietary acid load caused by animal products.
The study was a crossover trial that included 62 overweight adults. Participants were randomized to a low-fat vegan diet or a Mediterranean diet for 16 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout period, then an additional 16 weeks on the alternate diet. Throughout the study, changes in body weight were monitored. Additionally, dietary acid load was measured for all participants. Dietary acid load is a measure of the acid load caused by one’s diet, and it has been linked to chronic inflammation, weight gain, and metabolism disruptions. Animal products, including cheese, meat, fish, and eggs, are known to increase dietary acid load. The goal of this study was to see how dietary acid load may be connected to weight loss in overweight adults.
The results showed that participants lost an average of over 13 pounds on the low-fat vegan diet, while weight was unchanged on the Mediterranean diet. Additionally, dietary acid load decreased significantly with the low-fat vegan diet, and it was again unchanged by the Mediterranean diet. Dietary acid load was associated with weight loss, even when changes in energy intake were adjusted for.
The authors noted that many animal products increase acid production or increase the total amount of acids consumed, which increase dietary acid load and cause inflammation that is linked to weight gain. Replacing these animal products with plant-based foods such as berries and leafy greens may lower inflammation throughout the body and lead to weight loss.
Sources: Frontiers in Nutrition, Science Daily
