Vegan Diets Promote Weight Loss

"A review of a vegetarian diet shows it is highly effective for weight loss. Noticeably vegetarian populations tend to be slimmer than meat-eaters, and experience lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other life-threatening conditions linked to overweight and obesity.

The review, analyzing data from 87 other studies, shows the weight-loss effect does not rely on exercise or calorie counting, and its individuals lose weight at a rate of approximately 1 pound per week.

Susan E. Berkow, Ph.D says, 'Our research reveals that people can enjoy unlimited portions of high- fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight without feeling hungry.”

Berkow continues, 'There is evidence that a vegan diet causes an increased calorie burn after meals, meaning plant-based foods are being used more efficiently as fuel for the body, as opposed to being stored as fat.'

Dieticians believe insulin sensitivity is increased by a vegan diet, allowing nutrients to more rapidly enter the cells of the body to be converted to heat rather than to fat.

Researchers found that the body weight of both male and female vegetarians is, on average, 3 percent to 20 percent lower than that of meat-eaters."