How to lose weight: 12-week vegan diet helped people shed about 4kg and lower blood sugar levels, study shows

Researcher says adopting a plant-based diet could be a good tool for those who are overweight or who have Type 2 diabetes

A UK health service says people can get almost all the nutrients they need from eating a vegan diet that is balanced and varied

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Vegans do not eat foods that come from animals. A study shows that sticking to a vegan diet for at least 12 weeks can help boost weight loss and lower blood sugar levels. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15pm, 9 May 2022

Vegan diets can help overweight people or those with Type 2 diabetes shed pounds and lower blood sugar levels, according to a new study.

Experts presented evidence at the European Congress on Obesity in Maastricht, in the Netherlands, showing that adhering to a vegan diet for at least 12 weeks could boost weight loss and improve blood sugar control.

The data, taken from 11 randomised trials including 796 people, included those who were overweight – with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 25 – or who had Type 2 diabetes, including those in a pre-diabetic state.

The studies showed that, in comparison with control diets, vegan diets reduced body weight, on average, by about 4.1kg (9lb), and also led to a drop in BMI and lower blood sugar levels.

A vegan diet contains only plant-derived foods such as vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and fruits. Photo: Shutterstock

There were greater reductions in body weight and BMI when vegan diets were compared with people’s normal food intake than if they were compared to other diet plans to lose weight, such as portion control or a Mediterranean diet.

There was little or no effect of vegan diets on blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides, a type of fat stored in fat cells.