Plant-based diets stimulate the release of ‘beneficial gut hormones that regulate insulin release, appetite and weight’

Going vegan may help you shed the excess pounds, research suggests.

The plant-based diet can stimulate the release of good gut hormones that control insulin release, appetite and weight, scientists say, according to Daily Mail.

Researchers conducted the study on 60 men, who were asked to eat either a tofu burger or a meat and cheese patty.

Plant-based food, such as lentils, chickpeas and grains, are also higher in fibre than animal products, which adds bulk and helps people feel fuller for longer.

The researchers believe their study has ‘important implications for those with type 2 diabetes or weight problems’.

The research was carried out by the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague and led by Dr Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research.

‘This study adds to the mounting evidence that plant-based diets can help manage and prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity,’ Dr Kahleova said.
 
To determine whether a vegan diet could aid weight management, the researchers had 60 men eat either a tofu-based burger or one made with meat and cheese.

Both plates of food had the same calories, and proportions of fat, carbohydrate and protein.

Of the participants, 20 were obese, 20 had type 2 diabetes and the remainder were healthy.

Their hormone levels were measured before eating, as well as half-an-hour, an hour, two hours and three hours later.

Results revealed men from all three groups who ate the vegan meal produced higher levels of beneficial ‘gut hormones’.

These hormones included glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), which enhances insulin secretion.

GLP-1 rose by 30.5 per cent among the type 2 diabetics eating the vegan meal and 15.8 per cent among the healthy participants having the same burger.

Amylin – which delays the emptying of the stomach to improve satiety – increased by 15.7 per cent in the type 2 diabetics, 11.5 per cent in the obese men and 13.8 per cent in the healthy controls after the vegan patty.

PYY – a hormone also involved in satiety and weight management – only rose in the healthy men, with a 18.9 per cent increase.

All of these hormone-level rises were higher among those who ate the vegan burger than the meat and cheese alternative. 

‘These beneficial gut hormones can help keep weight down, enhance insulin secretion, regulate blood sugar, and keep us feeling full longer,’ Dr Kahleova said.
 
‘The fact that simple meal choices can increase the secretion of these healthy hormones has important implications for those with type 2 diabetes or weight problems.’

The men eating the vegan food also reported feeling more satisfied after finishing their meal than those who indulged in the meaty burger.

N.H.Kh