vegan

Posted on Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Diet, Obesity

Going vegan will save more than $650 a year in grocery costs.

According to new research, a low-fat vegan diet cuts food costs by 19%, or $1.80 per day, compared with a standard American diet that includes meat, dairy, and other animal products. The study also found that a Mediterranean diet costs 60 cents more per day. Total food costs on a vegan diet were 25% lower, $2.40 per day, compared with the Mediterranean diet.

“As grocery prices remain quite high, consumers might consider replacing meat and dairy products with a low-fat vegan diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans. This change could potentially save more than $650 a year on grocery expenses compared to a standard American diet and over $870 compared to the Mediterranean diet,” says Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, the lead author of the study and director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “Adopting a vegan diet can not only lead to financial savings but also improve health by reducing the risk or severity of conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.”

The decrease in costs on the vegan diet was mainly attributable to savings of $2.90 per day on meat, 50 cents per day on dairy products, and 50 cents per day on added fats. These savings outweighed the increased spending of 50 cents per day on vegetables, 30 cents per day on grains, and 50 cents on meat alternatives on the vegan diet.

The new research is a secondary analysis of a previous study by the Physicians Committee, which compared a low-fat vegan diet to a Mediterranean diet. In this study, participants were randomly assigned to follow either a low-fat vegan diet—which included fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans—or a Mediterranean diet, which emphasized fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy, and extra-virgin olive oil, for 16 weeks. There were no calorie restrictions for either group. After this phase, participants returned to their baseline diets for a four-week washout before switching to another diet for 16 weeks. The findings showed that the low-fat vegan diet resulted in better outcomes for weight, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels compared to the Mediterranean diet.

For the food cost assessment, intakes from the study participants’ dietary records were linked to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thrifty Food Plan, 2021, a database of national food prices, which are calculated from data collected for the consumer price index. The reduction in costs associated with a vegan diet primarily resulted from savings of $2.90 per day on meat, $0.50 per day on dairy products, and $0.50 per day on added fats. These savings exceeded the additional expenses of $0.50 per day on vegetables, $0.30 per day on grains, and $0.50 per day on meat alternatives. Overall, the vegan diet proved to be more economical.

Posted on Diet

Vegans’ intake of protein and essential amino acids is adequate but ultra-processed foods are needed

The study concluded that textured soy protein and plant-based protein supplements were the main ultra-processed products determining adequate protein intake for Brazilian vegans. The research involved 774 men and women.
Textured soy protein and plant-based protein supplements were the main ultra-processed products that determined adequate protein intake for vegans.

Their findings show that, on average, the participants consumed the recommended amount of proteins and essential amino acids and that their diet consisted mainly of unprocessed and minimally processed foods. However, participants who consumed proportionally lower levels of industrialized products such as protein supplements and textured soy protein were more likely to exhibit inadequate protein intake, suggesting a significant reliance on nutrients from ultra-processed proteins for this population.

Coined by researchers at the same university’s School of Public Health (FSP-USP), the term “ultra-processed products” refers to industrially formulated edible substances synthesized from fractionated ingredients and blended with chemical additives (colours, aromas, emulsifiers, thickeners etc.) to enhance their palatability.

“Our results contradict the stigma that a vegan diet can’t provide the amount of protein and essential amino acids a person needs and show that a vegan diet can be nutritionally adequate. Moreover, the vegans in the study consumed ultra-processed products less than the general population,” said Hamilton Roschel, head of the Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group at FM-USP’s Center for Lifestyle Medicine.

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“Animal food products are known to be generally more dense in protein and essential amino acids. For example, meat, milk and eggs contain more protein per gram than rice or beans. It was therefore important to investigate whether this requirement was met by diets consisting solely of plant protein,” Roschel said.

This was the main reason for investigating whether a vegan diet affords adequate protein and acceptable levels of essential amino acids.

The study also found a significant correlation between adequate protein intake and consumption of ultra-processed products. “Although this group consumed a small amount of ultra-processed products, some participants appeared to rely on them to meet their protein needs. This is partly because unprocessed foods are generally less dense in protein, which paved the way for the so-called meat substitute industry, whose market share is growing,” Roschel said.

Meat substitutes consist of plant protein processed to mimic different types of meat, such as vegan hamburgers, sausages, and nuggets. Cheese substitutes, such as soy, pea, rice, or potato protein, are also available. Both are considered ultra-processed products.

It is worth noting that consumption of ultra-processed products is associated with a heightened risk of weight gain, diabetes, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases, depression, some types of cancer, and premature death. Not all the effects of plant-based ultra-processed products are known, but recent evidence suggests they, too, maybe unhealthy.

The researchers concluded that textured soy protein (TSP) and plant-based protein supplements were the main ultra-processed products that determined adequate protein intake for Brazilian vegans.

“Although they tend to be classified as ultra-processed products, TSP and protein supplements aren’t necessarily unhealthy, which can’t be said of ultra-processed products that contain high levels of fat, sugar, sodium, preservatives and artificial additives, for example,” Roschel said.

As a broad category, Ultra-processed products are considered unhealthy in many studies, but there is robust evidence that soy-derived foods do not harm human health. “TSP is an important source of protein and essential amino acids for vegans, even though it’s classified as ultra-processed. Ultra-processed products vary considerably in formulation, and despite the consensus that they should generally be avoided, it isn’t reasonable to ignore the clear differences between them,” he said.

As the researchers note, the same can be said about plant-based protein supplements, “an evidence-based strategy to support muscle health also associated with protein adequacy” in different contexts, such as when unprocessed and minimally processed foods do not supply sufficient protein or when a clinical condition requires a different kind of nutritional management. “In these contexts, plant-based protein plays an important role and should not be overlooked,” Roschel said.

“Our findings don’t show that ultra-processed products are good, and the findings should not be used to encourage their consumption. However, it would be wrong to close one’s eyes to their significant differences and the importance of their role in specific contexts.

Posted on Diet

Two decades of studies suggest health benefits associated with plant-based diets.

Cardiovascular health and cancer risk associated with plant based diets: An umbrella review

Vegetarian and vegan diets are generally associated with better status on various medical factors linked to cardiovascular health and cancer risk, as well as lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and death.

According to a new review of 49 previously published papers, vegetarian and vegan diets are generally associated with better status on various medical factors linked to cardiovascular health and cancer risk and lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and death.

Prior studies have linked certain diets with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. A diet that is poor in plant products and rich in meat, refined grains, sugar, and salt is associated with a higher risk of death. Reducing consumption of animal-based products in favour of plant-based products has been suggested to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, the overall benefits of such diets remain unclear.

To deepen understanding of the potential benefits of plant-based diets, Capodici and colleagues reviewed 48 papers published between January 2000 and June 2023 that themselves compiled evidence from multiple prior studies. Following an “umbrella” review approach, they extracted and analyzed data from the 48 papers on links between plant-based diets, cardiovascular health, and cancer risk.

Their analysis showed that overall, vegetarian and vegan diets have a robust statistical association with better health status on some risk factors associated with cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, and mortality, such as blood pressure, management of blood sugar, and body mass index. Such diets are associated with reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, gastrointestinal and prostate cancer, and death from cardiovascular disease.

However, among pregnant women specifically, those with vegetarian diets faced no difference in their risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension compared to those on non-plant-based diets.

These findings suggest that plant-based diets are associated with significant health benefits. However, the researchers note that the statistical strength of this association is significantly limited by the many differences between past studies in terms of the specific diet regimens followed, patient demographics, study duration, and other factors. Moreover, some plant-based diets may introduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies in some people. Thus, the researchers caution against large-scale recommendations for plant-based diets until more research is completed.

The authors add: “Our study evaluates the different impacts of animal-free diets for cardiovascular health and cancer risk, showing how a vegetarian diet can be beneficial to human health and be one of the effective preventive strategies for the two most impactful chronic diseases on human health in the 21st century.”

Posted on Diet, Patient Talk

Swapping meat for Quorn lowers bad cholesterol by 10 per cent

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Regularly substituting meat for mycoprotein such as Quorn could help to lower bad cholesterol by 10-percent, which is comparable to switching to a Mediterranean or vegan diet.
Regularly substituting meat for mycoprotein such as Quorn could help to lower bad cholesterol by 10-percent, which is comparable to switching to a Mediterranean or vegan diet.

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Regularly substituting meat for mycoprotein such as Quorn could help to lower bad cholesterol by 10-percent, which is comparable to switching to a Mediterranean or vegan diet.

New research by the University of Exeter, published in Clinical Nutrition, also found substituting meat for Quorn reduces blood glucose and c-peptide concentrations associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

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With one in six UK adults suffering from raised cholesterol, the findings indicate that mycoprotein – the high protein, high-fibre food source that’s the main ingredient in Quorn – could play a key role in cholesterol management and improving heart health.

Dr George Pavis, of University of Exeter, led the study and said: “We’re really excited about these results and what they mean for public health. Previous laboratory studies, where all food eaten is controlled and alcohol and caffeine consumption regulated, have clearly shown that daily consumption of mycoprotein reduces bad cholesterol. But this is the first study of its kind to explore the impact of such a dietary intervention in a real-world, home-based setting where participants were not restricted in terms of what else they consumed or did.

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“The findings demonstrate that introducing Quorn foods into a diet on a regular basis helps to significantly lower bad cholesterol, blood glucose and c-peptide concentrations, which is important for boosting heart health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“It was particularly interesting to see the scale of the impact that Quorn consumption had in terms of reducing harmful cholesterol, with its performance over four weeks comparable to what we might expect to see from well-established approaches, such as following a Mediterranean diet.”

The remotely delivered study involved 72 overweight adults with high cholesterol levels. Researchers found that participants who ate 180g of Quorn products on a daily basis – equivalent to two servings of Quorn mince – saw a 10-percent reduction in ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol over the four-week study period. This equates to a 0.3 millimole per litre (mmol/l) decrease in bad cholesterol levels in less than one month.

Research has shown how more wholesale healthy dietary changes, such as switching to a Mediterranean or vegan diet, will typically deliver a 0.2 – O.3 mmol/l reduction in bad cholesterol levels after 12 weeks. Researchers at the University of Exeter also noted that typical doses of atorvastatin, the most popular statin prescribed by the NHS to treat high cholesterol, commonly yield a 0.3 – 1.3 mmol/l reduction after 12 months.

According to medical research, a decrease of 0.39 mmol/l in bad cholesterol levels is associated with a 25% lower lifetime risk of heart and circulatory disease. With pharmaceutical trials suggesting that reductions increase in a linear way over time, the researchers suggested further studies should be undertaken to see if the results improve even further when Quorn is eaten over a longer period.

The study – which saw half of the participants (39) given meat and fish products to eat on a daily basis as part of their regular diet, while the other half (33) were provided with Quorn products – also revealed further heart health benefits.

High blood sugar levels and c-peptide concentrations are commonly associated with diabetes and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. The researchers found that study participants who ate Quorn products experienced, on average, a 13-percent drop in blood glucose levels and a 27-percent fall in c-peptide concentrations, compared with the control group. With current data showing that 2.4 million people are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK based on high blood sugar levels, these findings demonstrate how mycoprotein could also play a key role in tackling a disease that currently costs an estimated £14 billion a year to treat.

The findings come after the latest annual Health Survey for England estimated that well over half (59-percent) of adults suffer from raised cholesterol and one in ten from diabetes, with both conditions known to cause cardiovascular disease – meaning millions of people could be at risk of a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke.

Sam Blunt, Quorn’s director of sustainability and corporate affairs, said: “The potential cholesterol-lowering effects of Quorn’s mycoprotein were first identified nearly four decades ago and, since then, numerous studies have helped us to understand more about the extent of its cholesterol management capabilities, with its high-fibre content thought to play a key role in this.

“While the benefits of adopting a Mediterranean diet are clear, it’s not always easy to do and this study highlights how, by simply introducing Quorn products into their diet on a regular basis, people may be able to quickly reduce their cholesterol levels and improve their heart health with minimal effort.”

Posted on Diet

Switching to a vegan or ketogenic diet rapidly impacts the immune system.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health observed rapid and distinct immune system changes in a small study of people who switched to a vegan or a ketogenic (also called keto) diet. Scientists closely monitored various biological responses of people sequentially eating vegan and keto diets for two weeks, in random order. They found that the vegan diet prompted responses linked to innate immunity—the body’s non-specific first line of defence against pathogens—while the keto diet prompted responses associated with adaptive immunity—pathogen-specific immunity built through daily life exposure and vaccination. Metabolic changes and shifts in the participants’ microbiomes—communities of bacteria living in the gut—were also observed. More research is needed to determine if these changes are beneficial or detrimental and how they could affect nutritional interventions for diseases such as cancer or inflammatory conditions.

Scientific understanding of how different diets impact the human immune system and microbiome is limited. Therapeutic nutritional interventions—which involve changing the diet to improve health—are poorly understood, and few studies have directly compared the effects of more than one diet. The keto diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that is generally high in fat. The vegan diet eliminates animal products and tends to be high in fibre and low in fat.  

The study was conducted by researchers from the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the Metabolic Clinical Research Unit in the NIH Clinical Center. The 20 participants were diverse with respect to ethnicity, race, gender, body mass index (BMI), and age. Each person ate as much as desired of one diet (vegan or keto) for two weeks, followed by as much as desired of the other diet for two weeks. People on the vegan diet, which contained about 10% fat and 75% carbohydrates, chose to consume fewer calories than those on the keto diet, which contained about 76% fat and 10% carbohydrates. Blood, urine, and stool were collected for analysis throughout the study period. The effects of the diets were examined using a “multi-omics” approach that analyzed multiple data sets to assess the body’s biochemical, cellular, metabolic, and immune responses, as well as changes to the microbiome. Participants remained on site for the entire month-long study, allowing for careful control of the dietary interventions.

Switching exclusively to the study diets caused notable changes in all participants. The vegan diet significantly impacted pathways linked to the innate immune system, including antiviral responses. On the other hand, the keto diet led to significant increases in biochemical and cellular processes linked to adaptive immunity, such as pathways associated with T and B cells. The keto diet affected levels of more proteins in the blood plasma than the vegan diet and proteins from a wider range of tissues, such as the blood, brain and bone marrow. The vegan diet promoted more red blood cell-linked pathways, including those involved in heme metabolism, which could be due to the higher iron content of this diet. Additionally, both diets produced changes in the participants’ microbiomes, causing shifts in the abundance of gut bacterial species previously linked to the diets. The keto diet was associated with changes in amino acid metabolism—an increase in human metabolic pathways for the production and degradation of amino acids and a reduction in microbial pathways for these processes—which might reflect the higher amounts of protein consumed by people on this diet.

The distinct metabolic and immune system changes caused by the two diets were observed despite the diversity of the participants, which shows that dietary changes consistently affect widespread and interconnected pathways in the body. More study is needed to examine how these nutritional interventions affect specific immune system components. According to the authors, the results of this study demonstrate that the immune system responds surprisingly rapidly to nutritional interventions. The authors suggest that it may be possible to tailor diets to prevent disease or complement disease treatments, such as by slowing processes associated with cancer or neurodegenerative disorders.