Scientists discover a weight-loss diet better than the Mediterranean diet and it includes some ‘unhealthy’ foods

If your weighing scale has been stuck on the same number for weeks, despite trying all the weight-loss diets and workouts, we have some good news. You can now shed those extra pounds and reach your wellness goals by eating some ‘unhealthy’ foods. That’s right. Scientists have discovered a diet that includes some ‘unhealthy’ foods but still helps with weight loss – and it even beats the Mediterranean diet.

A new analysis by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine discovered a diet that’s better than the Mediterranean diet, which is considered the gold standard for good health. The findings of the groundbreaking analysis are published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

Forget the Mediterranean diet!

The analysis found that following a vegan diet leads to greater weight loss than the Mediterranean diet. Why does the vegan diet work better? There are three reasons behind it:

• Avoids animal products
• Eating foods like potatoes and refined grains (defined as ‘unhealthy’ by the plant-based diet index)
• Avoids added oils and nuts (considered ‘healthy’ in the PDI)

“Our research shows that even when a low-fat vegan diet includes so-called unhealthy plant-based foods—as defined by the plant-based diet index—like refined grains and potatoes, it’s better than the Mediterranean diet for weight loss, because it avoids animal products and added oils,” lead author Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said in a statement.

The surprising power of plant-based eating

It looks like going vegan lives up to the hype, especially when it comes to weight loss. The new research is a secondary analysis of a previous Physicians Committee study comparing a low-fat vegan diet with a Mediterranean diet. The researchers randomly assigned 62 overweight adults to either a low-fat vegan diet (fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans) or a Mediterranean diet (fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy, and extra-virgin olive oil) for 16 weeks. There was no calorie restriction in either group. The participants returned to their baseline diets for a four-week washout period before switching to the opposite group for an additional 16 weeks.

What they found was striking. People who were on a vegan diet experienced more effective weight loss than those on a Mediterranean diet. Interestingly, the vegan diet provided better outcomes for weight, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels.

In this secondary analysis, the researchers used the dietary records of the participants to assess the relationship of a plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful PDI (hPDI), and unhealthful PDI (uPDI) with weight loss on both the vegan diet and the Mediterranean diet.

According to the PDI system, ‘healthful’ plant-based foods included fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, oils, coffee, and tea. The ‘unhealthful’ foods included fruit juice, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes, and sweets.

The researchers found that the PDI score increased significantly on the vegan diet and did not change on the Mediterranean diet. They noted that a low-fat vegan diet was associated with weight loss. The rise in PDI, hPDI, and uPDI scores came from avoiding animal foods on a vegan diet. The findings suggest that replacing animal products with plant-based foods and reducing the consumption of oil and nuts may be successful strategies for weight loss.

Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment, or before changing your diet or supplement regimen.