Subscribe

Receive updates about our latest products in your inbox

Register For Our Next Webinar

The Truth About Collagen Supplementation

About Us

For over 40 years, Biotics Research Corporation has revolutionized the nutritional supplement industry by utilizing “The Best of Science and Nature”. Combining nature’s principles with scientific ingenuity, our products magnify the nutritional

Search the Blog

  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Cardiometabolic Effects of a Vegan Diet

iStock-1161951090_editedRecently published in JAMA Network Open were the results of a randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of a vegan or an omnivorous diet on LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) as the primary outcome, with multiple secondary outcomes related to metabolic health. This trial may be the first to recruit adult identical twins, 22 pairs in total, to evaluate the influence of these diets on cardiometabolic health.

The trial period was comprised of two four-week periods; during the first 4 weeks, participants had three meals per day provided for them, intended also to serve as a guide for the second 4 weeks during which they’d provide for themselves. Both diets were intended to provide healthy choices, emphasizing variety, minimally processed foods, and a balance of vegetables, protein, starch, and healthy fats, without restricting calories. Both groups improved their diet quality from baseline during the study period, marked by reductions in added sugar, refined grains, and increased vegetable intake.

After 8 weeks, the twins following the vegan diet had a significant reduction in the primary outcome, with LDL-C levels lowered by a mean of 13.9mg/dL compared to their siblings following the omnivorous diet. Additionally, twins on the vegan diet also had a significant reduction in fasting insulin (−2.9 μIU/mL) and body weight (−1.9 kg) compared to twins on the omnivorous diet. It should be noted that this was a fairly healthy study group. For example, the baseline LDL-C was 114 mg/dL, a fairly low starting point, and perhaps a higher baseline would have resulted in an even greater difference. The authors point to a considerable body of research demonstrating the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of a vegan diet, but this was the first to enroll twins and provide better control for genetic and environmental/cultural confounders.

Submit your comment

Related Post

Unearthing Metabolomics’ Potential

A recently published paper discusses precision nutrition and the use of metabolomics in this branch of nutritional scien...

Learn more

Bacteria Help Influence Blood Sugar Metabolism

A recent study into the effects of specific bacterial strains on type 2 diabetes has identified four key bacteria that c...

Learn more

New Study Explores How Gut Immune System Functions

New research published in Nature by Rockefeller University on October 29, 2020, is changing the way we perceive the gut ...

Learn more