A new study has found that a vegan diet helps to support hormones produced in the gastrointestinal tract that are responsible for balancing blood sugar, hunger and weight.1 A vegan diet is one that consists of no animal products or byproducts, which includes the omission of eggs and dairy. The study was published in the journal Nutrients.
Hormone levels of 60 men – 20 with obesity, 20 with type 2 diabetes and 20 healthy controls – studied
The study compared a vegan meal consisting of a veggie burger to a beef cheeseburger on hormone levels of 60 men – 20 with obesity, 20 with type 2 diabetes and 20 healthy controls. The meals contained the same caloric and macronutrient composition.
Vegan meal compared with beef cheeseburger
In all of the groups the vegan meal increased beneficial gut hormones, compared with the beef cheeseburger. The hormones tested are involved in the regulation of blood sugar, insulin secretion, energy balance, hunger and weight management.
How beneficial gut hormones benefit you
“These beneficial gut hormones can help keep weight down, enhance insulin secretion, regulate blood sugar, and keep us feeling full longer,” says study author Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “The fact that simple meal choices can increase the secretion of these healthy hormones has important implications for those with type 2 diabetes or weight problems.”
Plant-based diet decreases the risk of developing diabetes by 50 percent
In the United States, roughly two-thirds of the adult population is considered overweight or obese, and 114 million of them have either diabetes or prediabetes. Previous research has demonstrated the benefit of a plant-based diet on these conditions. Some studies have concluded that everything else staying the same, a plant-based diet decreases the risk of developing diabetes by 50 percent.
Increasing evidence for plant-based diets & management and prevention of type 2 diabetes and obesity
“This study adds to the mounting evidence that plant-based diets can help manage and prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity,” says Dr. Kahleova.
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Razi Berry is the founder and publisher of the journal Naturopathic Doctor News & Review that has been in print since 2005 and the premier consumer-faced website of naturopathic medicine, NaturalPath. She is the host of The Natural Cancer Prevention Summit and The Heart Revolution-Heal, Empower and Follow Your Heart, and the popular 10 week Sugar Free Summer program. From a near death experience as a young girl that healed her failing heart, to later overcoming infertility and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia through naturopathic medicine, Razi has lived the mind/body healing paradigm. Her projects uniquely capture the tradition and philosophy of naturopathy: The healing power of nature, the vital life force in every living thing and the undeniable role that science and mind/body medicine have in creating health and overcoming dis-ease. Follow Razi on Facebook at Razi Berry and join us at Love is Medicine to explore the convergence of love and health.
