Atilla Hildmann once led the way: The author slimmed down a lot with a vegan diet – and many successfully emulated him. But why does the plant-based diet have such an impact on our body? Researchers in the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) investigated and asked this question in a study 148 obese and obese adults were examined over 16 weeks.
What does vegan nutrition do to the body?
The subjects were divided into two groups: group one was given the task of eating a low-fat and vegan diet in the future, group two was not given any such requirements. Both groups consumed the same number of daily calories. The result: Subjects from Group one had clearly lost weight compared to those from group two. And not only that: two thirds of this lost weight consisted of body fat. The researchers presented the study results at the 2019 annual conference of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
The new data aren't the first to suggest that a vegan diet can help you lose weight. So far, the big question has been: Why did the subjects achieve such a good result with this diet? With the new investigation, the scientists have now come a bit closer to the answer to this question: Accordingly, the concentration of certain healthy intestinal bacteria was particularly high in the subjects of the vegan group.
All good is in the gut
In an interview with the medical platform "MedScape Medical News", Hana Kahleova, study author and head of the PCRM said: "A plant-based diet with plenty of fiber changes the composition of the gut microbiome for the better by feeding the right kind of bacteria." The study data focused on two healthy types of bacteria that had multiplied during the study:
- Bacteroidetes, which are responsible for the digestion of fiber and are important for the metabolism and produce short-chain fatty acids.
- Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, that feed on fiber from plant products and are said to be related to weight loss. This bacterium also improves insulin sensitivity – not only does it boost your metabolism, it also lowers your risk of diabetes (what it means to be diabetic, you can learn here)
Kahleova and her team now want In another test, compare the vegan diet with other nutritional concepts such as the Mediterranean diet that are considered healthy.
Do we all have to go vegan now?
The result of the study does not mean that we will all have to do without meat and other animal products in the future. For many people, this is hardly sustainable – And it is precisely this aspect that nutritionists see as the most important basis for a successful change in diet, regardless of whether you want to lose weight or just do something for your health. In addition, there is always a risk of a lack of supply of various nutrients and B vitamins with a vegan diet. If you want to try the vegan diet, you should first talk to your doctor about possible health concerns.
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