Study: A diet improves heart health and reduces weight in just 8 weeks!

New research has revealed that a plant-based diet contributed to lower insulin and weight loss as well as protein levels linked to heart disease and stroke in just two months.

The results provide more evidence to show that plant-based diets are not only a better choice for the environment, but can be great for people too.

“Based on these findings and thinking about longevity, most of us would benefit from a more plant-based diet,” explains Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist at Stanford University.

In the study, the researchers recruited 22 pairs of healthy identical twins, to control for genetic differences, upbringing, and lifestyle, and divided the twins into two groups, which were provided with healthy diets containing vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

The only difference was that one in each group also consumed what was considered a healthy amount of meat.

During the first four weeks of the experiment, both groups prepared specially prepared meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and were provided with strict instructions about what snacks they could eat. Included: Avoid processed foods and maintain a balanced variety of food groups.

For the second part of the trial, participants had to continue the diet by shopping and cooking for themselves, for a further four weeks.

While cardiovascular health improved in participants in both groups, the twins who followed the plant-based diet saw greater improvements. Not only did they reduce fasting insulin by 20%, but their levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) also decreased.

This protein transports fat molecules around the body, specifically cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

The study noted an expected decrease in vitamin B12 as well.

Going strictly plant-based can be risky when done incorrectly, as it becomes difficult to get some important nutrients like B12. People who switch to entirely plant-based foods are often encouraged to take nutritional supplements to counter this effect.

“A plant-based diet can provide additional benefits such as increasing gut bacteria and reducing telomere loss, which slows aging in the body,” Gardner explains. “But even more important than following a strict vegan diet is including more vegetables in your diet.”

The research was published in JAMA Network Open.