scholarly journals A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Is Effective for Weight Loss: The Evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 500-510
Author(s):  
Michael Greger
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Plant ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Plant Foods ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Whole Plant

What does the best available balance of scientific evidence show is the optimum way to lose weight? Calorie density, water content, protein source, and other components significantly influence the effectiveness of different dietary regimes for weight loss. By “walling off your calories,” preferentially deriving your macronutrients from structurally intact plant foods, some calories remain trapped within indigestible cell walls, which then blunts the glycemic impact, activates the ileal brake, and delivers prebiotics to the gut microbiome. This may help explain why the current evidence indicates that a whole food, plant-based diet achieves greater weight loss compared with other dietary interventions that do not restrict calories or mandate exercise. So, the most effective diet for weight loss appears to be the only diet shown to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients. Plant-based diets have also been found to help treat, arrest, and reverse other leading chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, whereas low-carbohydrate diets have been found to impair artery function and worsen heart disease, the leading killer of men and women in the United States. A diet centered on whole plant foods appears to be a safe, simple, sustainable solution to the obesity epidemic.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Feeding Compared to Continuous Energy Restriction for Weight Loss

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey A. Rynders ◽  
Elizabeth A. Thomas ◽  
Adnin Zaman ◽  
Zhaoxing Pan ◽  
Victoria A. Catenacci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Energy Restriction ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Intermittent Fasting ◽  
Restricted Feeding ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Continuous Energy ◽  
Modest Weight Loss

The current obesity epidemic is staggering in terms of its magnitude and public health impact. Current guidelines recommend continuous energy restriction (CER) along with a comprehensive lifestyle intervention as the cornerstone of obesity treatment, yet this approach produces modest weight loss on average. Recently, there has been increased interest in identifying alternative dietary weight loss strategies that involve restricting energy intake to certain periods of the day or prolonging the fasting interval between meals (i.e., intermittent energy restriction, IER). These strategies include intermittent fasting (IMF; >60% energy restriction on 2–3 days per week, or on alternate days) and time-restricted feeding (TRF; limiting the daily period of food intake to 8–10 h or less on most days of the week). Here, we summarize the current evidence for IER regimens as treatments for overweight and obesity. Specifically, we review randomized trials of ≥8 weeks in duration performed in adults with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) in which an IER paradigm (IMF or TRF) was compared to CER, with the primary outcome being weight loss. Overall, the available evidence suggests that IER paradigms produce equivalent weight loss when compared to CER, with 9 out of 11 studies reviewed showing no differences between groups in weight or body fat loss.

α-Lipoic acid as a triglyceride-lowering nutraceutical

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (12) ◽  
pp. 1029-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjeza Pashaj ◽  
Mengna Xia ◽  
Régis Moreau
Keyword(s):  
Lipoic Acid ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Metabolic Dysfunction ◽  
Lifestyle Modifications ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Severe Hypertriglyceridemia ◽  
Diet And Exercise

Considering the current obesity epidemic in the United States (>100 million adults are overweight or obese), the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia is likely to grow beyond present statistics of ∼30% of the population. Conventional therapies for managing hypertriglyceridemia include lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, pharmacological approaches, and nutritional supplements. It is critically important to identify new strategies that would be safe and effective in lowering hypertriglyceridemia. α-Lipoic acid (LA) is a naturally occurring enzyme cofactor found in the human body in small quantities. A growing body of evidence indicates a role of LA in ameliorating metabolic dysfunction and lipid anomalies primarily in animals. Limited human studies suggest LA is most efficacious in situations where blood triglycerides are markedly elevated. LA is commercially available as dietary supplements and is clinically shown to be safe and effective against diabetic polyneuropathies. LA is described as a potent biological antioxidant, a detoxification agent, and a diabetes medicine. Given its strong safety record, LA may be a useful nutraceutical, either alone or in combination with other lipid-lowering strategies, when treating severe hypertriglyceridemia and diabetic dyslipidemia. This review examines the current evidence regarding the use of LA as a means of normalizing blood triglycerides. Also presented are the leading mechanisms of action of LA on triglyceride metabolism.

scholarly journals African Americans in Standard Behavioral Treatment for Obesity, 2001-2015: What Have We Learned?

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1045-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel W. Goode ◽  
Mindi A. Styn ◽  
Dara D. Mendez ◽  
Tiffany L. Gary-Webb
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Behavioral Weight Loss ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Large N ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Telephone Calls ◽  
Disproportionate Burden

African Americans (AAs) bear a disproportionate burden of the obesity epidemic, yet have historically been underrepresented in weight loss research. We conducted a narrative review of large ( N > 75) randomized prospective clinical trials of standard behavioral treatment for weight loss that reported results in the past 15 years (2001-2015) to (a) determine the rates of inclusion and reported results for AAs and (b) further identify strategies that may result in improved outcomes. Of the 23 trials reviewed, 69.6% of the studies met or exceeded population estimates for AAs in the United States. However, only 10 reported outcomes and/or considered race in the analytic approach. At 6 months, AA participants consistently lost less weight than White participants. The use of culturally tailored intervention materials and monthly personal telephone calls were reported as factors that may have enhanced treatment response. Future behavioral weight loss trials should also increase reporting of outcomes by race.

scholarly journals Effects of Commercially Available Dietary Supplements on Resting Energy Expenditure: A Brief Report

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger A. Vaughan ◽  
Carole A. Conn ◽  
Christine M. Mermier
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Resting Energy Expenditure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Increase Energy Expenditure ◽  
Healthy Young People ◽  
Resting Energy

Commercially available dietary products advertised to promote weight loss are an underresearched but heavily purchased commodity in the United States. Despite only limited evidence, interest in dietary supplements continues to increase. This work uniquely summarizes the current evidence evaluating the efficacy of several over-the-counter thermogenic products for their effects on resting energy expenditure. Currently, there is some evidence suggesting dietary products containing select ingredients can increase energy expenditure in healthy young people immediately following consumption (within 6 hours). It is unclear if supplement-induced increases in metabolic rate provide additional benefit beyond that provided by dietary constituents that contain similar ingredients. It is also unclear if dietary supplements are effective for weight loss in humans.

scholarly journals The Effects of Avocado Waste and Its Functional Compounds in Animal Models on Dyslipidemia Parameters

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Elizabeth Pineda-Lozano ◽  
Alma Gabriela Martínez-Moreno ◽  
Carmen Alejandrina Virgen-Carrillo
Keyword(s):  
Heart Disease ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Biological Compounds ◽  
High Density Cholesterol

Ischemic heart disease and stroke are two main causes of death that have prevailed for more than 15 years. Dyslipidemia and its parameters like hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, increase in low-density cholesterol, and a reduction of high-density cholesterol have been related with heart disease and risk of stroke. Approaches to improve the health and specifically reduce the risk of heart disease, such as medications and dietary interventions have been effective, but there are other potential sources of biological compounds that could have an effect due to their antioxidant properties. Avocado is a commonly consumed fruit especially its pulp, while the peel, seed, and leaf are usually discarded as waste. Some researchers have reported antioxidant, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, lipid-lowering, and hypoglycemic effects in these wastes. In this review article, we have summarized the current evidence on the effect of biological compounds from avocado waste on dyslipidemia parameters in preclinical models. Also, we have included the compound extracted and the extraction method from the selected articles.

scholarly journals Blood Leukocyte DNA Methylation Predicts Risk of Future Myocardial Infarction and Coronary Heart Disease

Circulation ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 140 (8) ◽  
pp. 645-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golareh Agha ◽  
Michael M. Mendelson ◽  
Cavin K. Ward-Caviness ◽  
Roby Joehanes ◽  
TianXiao Huan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Coronary Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Serum Calcium ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Coronary Insufficiency ◽  
Blood Leukocyte

Background: DNA methylation is implicated in coronary heart disease (CHD), but current evidence is based on small, cross-sectional studies. We examined blood DNA methylation in relation to incident CHD across multiple prospective cohorts. Methods: Nine population-based cohorts from the United States and Europe profiled epigenome-wide blood leukocyte DNA methylation using the Illumina Infinium 450k microarray, and prospectively ascertained CHD events including coronary insufficiency/unstable angina, recognized myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, and coronary death. Cohorts conducted race-specific analyses adjusted for age, sex, smoking, education, body mass index, blood cell type proportions, and technical variables. We conducted fixed-effect meta-analyses across cohorts. Results: Among 11 461 individuals (mean age 64 years, 67% women, 35% African American) free of CHD at baseline, 1895 developed CHD during a mean follow-up of 11.2 years. Methylation levels at 52 CpG (cytosine-phosphate-guanine) sites were associated with incident CHD or myocardial infarction (false discovery rate<0.05). These CpGs map to genes with key roles in calcium regulation (ATP2B2, CASR, GUCA1B, HPCAL1), and genes identified in genome- and epigenome-wide studies of serum calcium (CASR), serum calcium-related risk of CHD (CASR), coronary artery calcified plaque (PTPRN2), and kidney function (CDH23, HPCAL1), among others. Mendelian randomization analyses supported a causal effect of DNA methylation on incident CHD; these CpGs map to active regulatory regions proximal to long non-coding RNA transcripts. Conclusion: Methylation of blood-derived DNA is associated with risk of future CHD across diverse populations and may serve as an informative tool for gaining further insight on the development of CHD.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an Eight-Week Whole-Food Plant-Based Lifestyle Modification Program

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin K. Campbell ◽  
Mohammad Fidahusain ◽  
Thomas M. Campbell II
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Ldl Cholesterol ◽  
Plasma Lipids ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Plant ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Chronic Medication

Poor diet quality is the leading cause of death both in the United States and worldwide, and the prevalence of obesity is at an all-time high and is projected to significantly worsen. Results from an eight-week group program utilizing an ad-libitum whole-food plant-based dietary pattern, were reviewed. There were 79 participants, all self-referred from the community, including 24 (30.4%) who were already vegetarian or vegan at baseline. Seventy-eight participants (98.7%) completed the eight-week program. Among completers, those with higher BMI at baseline lost a larger percentage of their body weight (total body weight loss of 3.0 ± SD 2.1%, 5.8 ± 2.8%, and 6.4 ± 2.5% for participants who had baseline BMI in normal, overweight, and obese range, respectively). The average weight loss for all the completers was 5.5 ± 3.0 kg (p < 0.0001). Final blood pressure and plasma lipids were reduced compared to baseline (SBP decreased 7.1 ± 15.5 mmHg (p = 0.0002), DBP decreased 7.3 ± 10.9 mmHg (p < 0.0001), total cholesterol decreased 25.2 ± 24.7 mg/dL (p < 0.0001), LDL decreased 15.3 ± 21.1 mg/dL (p < 0.0001)). Twenty-one (26.9%) participants were able to decrease or stop at least one chronic medication compared to two (2.6%) participants who required an increased dose of a chronic medication. Participants who were already vegetarian or vegan at baseline experienced statistically significant weight loss and reductions in total and LDL cholesterol. There was a non-significant trend toward less weight loss in these participants compared to participants who were non-vegetarian at baseline. Reductions in total and LDL cholesterol were not significantly different when comparing vegetarian or vegan and non-vegetarian participants. A whole-food plant-based dietary intervention may provide significant short-term benefits for both non-vegetarian, vegetarian, and vegan individuals.

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