A new study has found that a low-fat vegan diet helps reduce the body’s acid load and leads to weight loss—more effectively than the popular Mediterranean diet.
The research was done by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
The term “dietary acid load” refers to the amount of acid-producing foods a person eats. Foods like meat, eggs, cheese, and other animal products raise the body’s acid levels.
When acid builds up, it can cause inflammation, which is linked to weight gain and problems with metabolism. In contrast, plant-based foods—especially fruits, vegetables, and legumes—help lower acid levels and support better health.
Dr. Hana Kahleova, the study’s lead author and director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee, explained that reducing acid load by avoiding animal products can help with weight loss and improve gut health. She noted that plant foods like leafy greens, berries, and beans help make the body more alkaline and reduce harmful inflammation.
The study included 62 overweight adults. Each person followed two diets during the study: one group started with a Mediterranean diet for 16 weeks, while the other began with a low-fat vegan diet for the same amount of time. After a four-week break to clear any leftover effects, the groups switched and tried the opposite diet for another 16 weeks.
The researchers measured something called PRAL (Potential Renal Acid Load) and NEAP (Net Endogenous Acid Production) to estimate the body’s acid levels. Higher scores mean a higher acid load.
The results were clear. The vegan diet caused both PRAL and NEAP scores to drop significantly, showing a lower acid load in the body. The Mediterranean diet, however, did not lead to significant changes in acid levels.
The drop in acid load also matched up with weight loss. On average, people on the vegan diet lost 13.2 pounds, while those on the Mediterranean diet did not lose any weight. Even after taking calorie intake into account, the link between a lower acid load and weight loss remained strong.
Researchers believe one reason for the success of the vegan diet is its alkalizing effect. When the body becomes more alkaline and less acidic, it may function better and store less fat.
Top foods that help lower acid levels include vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beets, asparagus, and garlic. Fruits like apples, cherries, berries, apricots, and cantaloupe also help, along with legumes such as lentils, beans, peas, and chickpeas. Whole grains like quinoa and millet are also good choices.
This study adds to growing evidence that a low-fat vegan diet not only supports weight loss but also helps balance the body’s internal environment by lowering acid levels. Choosing plant-based foods may be a simple and effective way to improve health, manage weight, and reduce inflammation.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more health information, please see recent studies that Mediterranean diet can reduce belly fat much better, and Keto diet could help control body weight and blood sugar in diabetes.
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