Veggie diet can double weight loss

VEGETARIAN diets are twice as good at helping people lose weight than those containing meat, a study has shown.

Those who avoided meat also had less fat stored both under their skin and in their muscles, scans revealed.

Researchers studied 74 people suffering from type 2 diabetes who needed to lose weight.

The participants were randomly assigned either a vegetarian or a conventional meateating regime.

Their diets were 500 calories lower than the person would need to maintain their weight.

The vegetarian diet consisted of vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits and nuts.

Its only animal product was one serving of yoghurt a day.

The conventional diet included meat and fish and followed official advice from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

However, the vegetarian diet was found to be nearly twice as effective in reducing weight, resulting in an average loss of about 13.5lb – compared to 7lb for the conventional diet.

The diet had the additional benefit of reducing fat stored in the thighs.

Using MRI scanners, Dr Hana Kahleova, of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington DC, assessed how much fat was stored under the skin and in the muscles. Both diets reduced fat storage under the skin, but the vegetarian diet also reduced the amount of fat stored in the muscles.

Fat stored in muscles has been linked to insulin resistance – so reducing this ‘subfascial’ fat is helpful.

Dr Kahleova said: ‘Vegetarian diets proved to be the most effective diets for weight loss.

‘However, we also showed that a vegetarian diet is much more effective at reducing muscle fat, thus improving metabolism.

‘This finding is important for people who are trying to lose weight, including those suffering from metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes. But it is relevant to anyone who takes weight management seriously and wants to stay lean and healthy.’

Dr Kahleova added that a plant-based diet is helpful for anyone who is serious about staying healthy as they age.

‘A diet built around plants is naturally rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, which leaves us feeling energised and refreshed instead of hungry and fatigued,’ she said.

‘Part of the reason a vegetarian diet works so well for many people is because it’s easy to stick to.’ Study participant Libor Siroky, used the vegetarian diet and lost 18lbs, which reversed her diabetes. She said: ‘Previously, I thought diabetes was a progressive disease. We think it’s only going to get worse, but this study proved the opposite. We can control it.’

A study last month suggested eating one or two meat-free meals a week halves the risk of becoming obese.

The research, which tracked 16,000 people for a decade, found those who ate the equivalent of two large chicken breasts less a week are 43 per cent less likely to become obese.

The team, from the University of Navarra in Spain, found those who eat less meat often double their intake of fruit and vegetables.