New research finds that reducing processed animal foods leads to greater weight loss than focusing on food processing levels. A plant-based diet can help, but does ultra-processing matter as much as we thought? Study: Vegan diet, processed foods, and body weight: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Image Credit: Geshas / Shutterstock.
com A recent study in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism determines how consuming vegan processed food may affect weight loss in overweight adults. Processed foods and weight gain A plant-based and low-fat diet is associated with numerous health benefits, including weight loss, reduced risk of heart disease, blood sugar control, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, some plant-derived foods are heavily processed, which may negate their potential weight loss effects.
Several studies have reported that consuming certain ultra-processed foods (UPFs) increases the risk of weight gain. Despite these observations, few studies have determined whether this association is dependent on animal- or plant-based UPFs. About the study The current study is a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial conducted between January 2017 and February 2019.
It explores whether the degree of food processing influences the effects of a plant-based diet on body weight. The main hypothesis was that plant—and animal-based foods within the NOVA food classification system affect body weight differently. The study cohort comprised overweight adu.
