Gardner said a registered dietitian, or “diet whisperer,” was on hand during the study to provide dietary suggestions and answer questions. Participants were interviewed about their dietary intake and kept records of the foods they ate.
Gardner said 43 participants completed the study, demonstrating how achievable it is to learn how to prepare healthy meals in four weeks.
“In our study, we used a generalizable diet that is available to everyone, because 21 out of 22 vegans followed that diet,” said Gardner, a professor at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. Ta. “This suggests that anyone who chooses a vegan diet can improve their long-term health within two months, with the biggest changes seen in the first month.”
Health Promotion
The authors found that the most improvement occurred during the first four weeks of the dietary change. Participants on a vegan diet had significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, insulin, and body weight, all of which are associated with improved cardiovascular health, compared to omnivore participants. It was low.
Researchers weighed participants and drew blood at three time points: at the start of the study, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks. The average baseline LDL-C level in vegan participants was 110.7 mg/dL, and in omnivore participants it was 118.5 mg/dL. At the end of the study, the score had dropped to 95.5 for vegans and 116.1 for omnivores. The optimal healthy LDL-C level is less than 100.
Because the participants already had healthy LDL-C levels, there was less room for improvement, Gardner said, speculating that participants with higher baseline levels would show larger changes.
Vegan participants also showed approximately 20% lower fasting insulin levels. Elevated insulin levels are a risk factor for developing diabetes. Vegans also lost an average of 4.2 pounds more than omnivores.
“Based on these results, most of us would benefit from a more plant-based diet when it comes to longevity,” Gardner said.
According to Gardner, the vegan participants (and some omnivores as well) did the three most important things to improve their cardiovascular health: reduce saturated fat, increase dietary fiber, and lose weight. Reduced.
global sense
Gardner emphasizes that while most people probably won’t go vegan, taking small steps in a plant-based direction can improve your health. “A vegan diet may provide additional benefits that slow the body’s aging process, such as increased gut bacteria and reduced telomere attrition,” Gardner said.
“More important than being a strict vegan is incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet,” says Gardner, who has been “mostly vegan” for the past 40 years. “Fortunately, enjoying vegan multicultural cuisine such as Indian masalas, Asian stir-fries, and African lentil dishes can be a great first step.”
Mr. Gardner is a member of the Stanford Heart and Vascular Institute, the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, the Maternal and Child Health Institute, and the Stanford Cancer Institute.
This research was funded by the Vogt Foundation. Stanford Clinical Translational Science Award. and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
