Compared to a diet that includes meat and dairy, a plant-based diet reduces the amount of harmful dietary advanced glycation end-products.
According to a recent study by researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in Obesity Science & Practice, eating a plant-based diet decreases inflammatory dietary advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) by 79%, compared to a 15% reduction for a diet that contains meat and dairy products. An average weight reduction of 14 pounds and better insulin sensitivity was linked to the drop in AGEs.
“Simply swapping fatty meat and dairy products for a low-fat plant-based diet led to a significant decrease in advanced glycation end-products—inflammatory compounds found to a greater degree in animal products than plants,” says lead study author Hana Kahleova, MD, Ph.D., director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “The decrease in AGEs was also associated with weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity.”
AGEs in Inflammation and Disease
AGEs are compounds formed in the bloodstream when proteins or fats combine with glucose. AGEs cause inflammation and oxidative stress, which may contribute to chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
AGEs may be ingested through food, and animal products contain more AGEs than plant foods. AGEs are created during normal metabolism as well, but at a faster rate when a person has metabolic syndrome — high blood sugar, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance.
For 16 weeks, 244 overweight individuals were randomly allocated to either an intervention group that ate a low-fat plant-based diet or a control group that made no dietary adjustments.
At the beginning and end of the study, body composition was measured and insulin sensitivity was assessed. Dietary AGEs were calculated based on self-reported dietary intake records. A dietary AGEs database was used to estimate dietary AGEs intake.
Decrease in Dietary AGEs and Weight Loss
Dietary AGEs decreased by 79% in the plant-based group, compared to 15% in the control group. About 55% of the reduction of the dietary AGEs in the plant-based group was attributable to the reduction in meat intake, 26% to decreased dairy intake, and 15% to decreased consumption of added fats. The reduction in white meat consumption made the biggest difference in dietary AGEs coming from meat (59%), followed by processed meat (27%).
Body weight decreased by about 14 pounds (6.4 kg) in the plant-based group, compared with about 1 pound (0.5 kg) in the control group, largely due to a reduction in fat mass, notably visceral fat. Insulin sensitivity improved in the intervention group.
The authors say that these findings support prior observations of the favorable effects of low-AGEs diets on weight, body fat, and insulin resistance.
Reference: “Dietary advanced glycation products and their associations with insulin sensitivity and body weight: A 16-week randomized clinical trial” by Hana Kahleova, Tatiana Znayenko-Miller, Jaime Uribarri, Richard Holubkov and Neal D. Barnard, 17 October 2022, Obesity Science & Practice.
DOI: 10.1002/osp4.646
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18 Comments
Due to health issues, I’ve been on a mostly (90%) vegan diet. I went from 158 lbs. to 143 lbs. in 4 months and lost most of my belly fat. I also walk on a treadmill, for 40 mins. at 5kph. It’s made a huge difference in how I feel. BTW, I’m 83 yrs. old.
I have been on a PB diet going on 5 years now. I feel ridiculously healthy. I dropped 40 pounds. My cholesterol is lower than it’s ever been. My osteoarthritis pain (from a sports injury) is gone. I’m stronger. My congestion cleared up. I sleep amazingly well.
Sorry I call bs on this study.
My daughter is Vegan but overweight because she chooses to eat highly processed vegan food that mimics the real thing. She also eats lots of pasta.
I eat meat every day of the week. Steak, pork chops, chicken, etc….. Its the main staple of my diet. I am not overweight in the slightest.
If being vegan was key to weight loss why are humans only having severe issues with obesity since the late 1980’s?
Sure vegan is fine if you stick to whole, natural, unprocessed foods but that would be no different if you are eating unprocessed meats.
More cleverly disguised propaganda to try and get people to stop eating meat.
In 1980 the US FDA approved the expanded use of added MSG as an alleged “flavor enhancer” knowing full-well then (FASEB reports) it would be harmful to some of us and the rest is criminal history; obesity, diabetes epidemic by 1990 (CDC/NCHS data). For more details as to “how?” visit the “About” page on my Odysee dot com “Overcoming the Odds” video channel “@charlesgshaver” Good luck.
This study took 244 overweight individuals and put half of them on a diet while leaving the other half unchanged and claims victory.
Wow! Thanks for sharing what you learned.
This is why I normally read the studies. However, for diet studies in particular, setting up the study and interpreting it is a minefield. I didn’t even bother to read this study for that reason, plus I’m too busy right now.
I lost 90 lbs eating only meat and eggs. My depression is gone, my excima is gone, my irregular heart beat is gone, I see, taste and smell better, I have tons of energy and feel healthier than I did when I was eating mostly plants.
I took the opposite approach, and went 100% animal based, and the weight flew off, I less hungry, my mood improved, my concentration has improved, I sleep better, my IBD symptoms are almost gone and I feel great. By animal based I do not include lactose containing dairy, like milk and yogourt. The only dairy I eat are lactose free cheese, butter and ghee. I don’t eat honey either.
Human body is a very smart machine its know what fuel its required, in ancient and pre historic time does we need adviced on what we can eat or what we cant eat? suppose human are smarter than any living things but are we? I am confused.
Nice try…
It’s not a vegan study, it it’s plant based study. Not the same. I have been eating all ‘real’ food for about 6 years, I do eat meat, but very small portions and no dairy. It DOES make a difference in weight loss, if you have a slow metabolism, blood pressure, cholesterol and overall well being.. And you can loose weight without starving to death, because you can fill up on produce.
“The intervention group was asked to follow an ad libitum low-fat vegan diet…”
This study only shows an association between weight loss and insulin sensitivity and lowered dietary AGEs. Unfortunately they did not measure serum AGEs before and after the diet, or a measure of tissue inflammation.
I’m vegan, but specifically, WFPB. Notice how the article referenced “low fat plant based diet,” not whatever vegan garbage you want to put in your mouth. There is a difference. Just because you’re vegan, doesn’t automatically mean you’re healthy.
I went whole food plant-based for over a year. I lost 12 pounds initially but gained 40 by the end. I also got pre-diabetets, 2 autoimmunes, gut issues, even worse cycles, and a whole mess of other issues. I went carnivore 8 months ago and reversed all of it and lost 87 pounds. Meat heals!
Nice try – the study took half of the participants and left them on the standard American diet and yells LOOK WHAT WE DID!! when the other half who changed their diet were healthier.
News flash: the standard American diet is toxic.
Now if you compared a plant based diet to say a strict ketogenic diet, we could talk real merits.
The study was done by an animal rights organization masquerading as a neutral think tank. This is propaganda. Look them up, they are fully entangled with the seventh day Adventist Church, radical animal rights activists, and funded by the big agribiz conglomerates like archer Daniels midland. This is not science, you can not trust these conclusions.
Plant based diet isn’t necessarily vegan. It can be regular vegetarian food. South Indian vegetarian food can be made vegan by removing ghee and yoghurt. It consists of all different varieties of greens, gourds, pumpkins, beans, lentils and spices like turmeric, cumin, chilli etc. It’s wholesome and balanced.
Vegans choosing processed alternatives is not really the ideal way to go. There are many other variations out there without the vegan tag.