Shunning Meat, Shedding Pounds: The Weight Loss Benefits Of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets

In the early 2000s, low-carb diets were all the rage, and men and women looking to shed excess pounds stocked up on once-forbidden high-fat foods such as steak, bacon, nuts, and eggs -- the ingredients that formed the basis of this very unorthodox approach to dieting.

Over the last several years, the low-carb craze has largely died down, and many studies have been published that called into question both the safety and the long-term effectiveness of the low-carb, high-fat, high-protein approach to weight loss.

Today, a new trend has emerged, with many overweight and obese people taking the exact opposite approach in order to lose weight. Growing numbers of people are strictly limiting -- or in some cases, completely eliminating -- their intake of animal-based products.

Weight loss is not the only reason why people are turning to vegetarianism, or its more restrictive form, veganism. Many followers of these diets cite moral and ethical concerns as the chief reasons behind their decision to give up meat and other animal-based products.

However, according to a number of groundbreaking studies that have been published over the last several years, both vegetarianism and veganism can profoundly improve health. This week, we?ll review some of the recent research that has shed light on these alternative diets.

Vegetarian Diet More Effective than Standard Low-Fat Diet for Maximum Weight Loss

Although a diet low in fat has long been touted as the single most effective method of achieving weight loss, a recent study indicates that faster, more permanent weight loss results can often be achieved simply by bypassing meat products.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh determined that men and women who stuck to a standard vegetarian diet consistently lost more weight over the course of a year than did their counterparts on a low-fat diet. This study allowed participants to partake in eggs, cheese, and other dairy products, although all meats, poultry, and fowl were disallowed.

After a year, the study participants who ate a vegetarian diet lost an average of 16.5 pounds, compared to a relatively paltry loss of only 4.8 pounds among those who ate a low-fat diet that included meat products. In addition, the researchers uncovered several other benefits, as well. The participants in the vegetarian group significantly lowered their levels of ?bad? cholesterol, and more of the vegetarian eaters were able to successfully remain on the diet after the initial 12-month period of the study than their counterparts in the low-fat group.

However, the researchers caution that vegetarian diets are not indicated for everyone, and that consultation with a physician should precede any major lifestyle change. Furthermore, the scientists stated that many of the benefits of the vegetarian diet were eroded if the subjects resumed eating meat.

Several Recent Studies Tout the Health, Weight Loss Benefits of Veganism

Veganism is commonly regarded as one of the most restrictive forms of vegetarian eating; adherents to this lifestyle typically shun not only meat, but also all animal-based foods, including eggs and dairy products.

For years, veganism was seen as an extreme dietary regimen practiced only by a fringe group of radical vegetarians. However, increasing numbers of people have turned to this lifestyle in recent years, spurred in part by growing awareness of the health benefits of a meat-free diet.

Researchers have also begun to study veganism more fully in recent years. Scientists at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. sought to determine the weight loss benefits of a short-term vegan regimen among a group of postmenopausal women. It was found that the participants following a vegan diet were able to lose significantly more weight than their counterparts who followed a standard low-fat regimen. In addition, the insulin sensitivity of the women in the vegan group improved considerably, as well, a measure that helps prevent diabetes and promote the maintenance of a healthy weight.

Another recent study extended these findings, demonstrating that veganism can treat, and in some cases, actually reverse, many of the ill health effects of Type II diabetes. In a study that compared veganism to the standard diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association, it was found that 43% of the participants in the vegan group were able to reduce their diabetes medications, as opposed to only 26% of the participants who followed the dietary guidelines set forth by the ADA. Those in the vegan group also experienced more weight loss and reduction in cholesterol levels.

Although these results are promising, make sure you take the time to do more research and think it over before making the switch to vegetarianism or veganism. These are both significant lifestyle changes that can upset your body?s equilibrium if undertaken too suddenly. Also, as with all health-related concerns, discuss this issue with your doctor before making a decision.

Check back each week for more of the breaking research news that will help achieve and maintain a healthy weight!