Low Carb Vegan Diet Helps Lower Heart Disease Risk and Weight

Adhering to a low carbohydrate vegan diet helps lower the risk of heart disease by 10 percent in addition to over four pounds of weight loss, a new study suggests.

In a new finding, researchers at St. Michael's Hospital revealed that the 'Eco-Atkins', a low-carbohydrate vegan diet helps shed excess body fat in six months and also cuts the risk of heart diseases by 10 percent over 10 years. 

Most of the low-carb diets have been linked to significant weight loss but emphasis was laid on the animal protein and fat that elevates cholesterol levels.   The risk of heart diseases can be reduced by having a diet that is rich in vegetable protein and oils. They cut the risk by lowering the levels of bad cholesterol.

As a part of the study, the participants were given certain menu plans that summarized the food items along with the amount. The menu was a reference guide and the participants were also given a list of certain appropriate food alternatives. The alternative list helped the participants to switch to the diet that suited their tastes and helped adapt to that particular diet.

The study included 23 obese men and women. They were made to consume just 60 percent of the estimated caloric need. They all completed the six month diet.

The main aim of the Eco-Atkins duet was to balance 26 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 31 percent from proteins and 43 percent from fat.  All this was obtained from vegetable oils. The main sources of carbohydrate was the high fibre food such as oats and barley and low-starch vegetable such as okra and eggplant. Protein was taken from gluten, soy, vegetables, nuts and cereals.  The fat sources for Eco-Atkins diet was nuts, vegetable oil, soy product and avocado.

The Eco Atkins diet,  dropped level of cholesterol by 10 percent and helped in shedding an average of four pounds in six months.

"We could expect similar results in the real world because study participants selected their own diets and were able to adjust to their needs and preferences," said Dr. Jenkins, who is a vegan.

The study was published in the British medical Journal Open.