Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Overweight/obese children and adults who followed a strict plant-based diet saw a significant improvement in weight and significantly reduced their risks for high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
In a 2015 study (1), 30 overweight/obese children (having a body mass index in the 85th percentile and above for children the same age and sex) (2) and a cholesterol level greater than 169 milligrams/deciliter were paired with their parents and instructed to follow either a plant-based diet or a diet recommended by the American Heart Association for 4 weeks. Those who followed the American Heart Association-recommended diet were allowed 30% of calories from fat, 7% of calories from saturated fat, less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol, and less than 1500 mg of sodium per day (3). Those on the plant-based diet were instructed to avoid all animal products and added fat and to limit their intake of nuts and avocado (4). In addition to following the diet, each child-parent pair attended a 2-hour class on nutrition education once per week.
After 4 weeks, children on the plant-based diet saw statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in nine different areas that were measured: body mass index, blood pressure, weight, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, insulin, myeloperoxidase (a marker of inflammation in heart disease) (5), and mid-arm circumference. The greatest decreases were observed in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (45% decrease, p < 0.01), insulin (37% decrease, p < 0.05), and myeloperoxidase (29% decrease, p < 0.01).
Children on the American Heart Association diet saw significant improvements (p < 0.05) in five areas: weight, waist circumference, mid-arm circumference, HDL cholesterol, and myeloperoxidase. The greatest decreases were observed in myeloperoxidase (25% decrease, p < 0.01), mid-arm circumference (3% decrease, p < 0.05), and waist circumference (3% decrease, p < 0.05).
In adults, those on the plant-based diet saw statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in eight different areas: body mass index, blood pressure, weight, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HbA1c (a marker of long-term blood sugar control) (6), myeloperoxidase, and mid-arm circumference. The greatest improvements were observed in LDL cholesterol 23% decrease, p < 0.01), triglycerides (20% decrease, p < 0.01), and systolic blood pressure (8% decrease, p < 0.05).
For the American Heart Association diet, adults saw statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in three different areas: body mass index, weight, and HDL cholesterol. The greatest decreases were observed in HDL cholesterol (8% decrease, p < 0.01) and weight (3% decrease, p < 0.05).
In addition, compliance to both diets by the parents and children was “good but not perfect” as there was “more difficulty” shopping for the necessary food for the plant-based diet. Those following the American Heart Association diet consumed 8.4% more saturated fat (7.59% versus 7.0% calories from saturated fat per day recommended) and 13.2% more sodium (1699 versus 1500 milligrams per day).
For the researchers, “a plant-based diet and the AHA in both children and adults demonstrated potentially beneficial changes from baseline in risk factors for cardiovascular disease” and that “Future larger, long-term randomized trials with easily accessible plant-based foods will further define the role of the plant-based diets in preventing cardiovascular disease.”
Source: Macknin, Michael, et al. “Plant-based, no-added-fat or American Heart Association diets: impact on cardiovascular risk in obese children with hypercholesterolemia and their parents.” The Journal of pediatrics 166.4 (2015): 953-959
© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.12.058
Posted March 10, 2015.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- Macknin M. Plant-Based, No-Added-Fat or American Heart Association Diets: Impact on Cardiovascular Risk in Obese Children with Hypercholesterolemia and Their Parents. J Pediatr 2015 Feb 5. pii: S0022-3476(14)01227-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.12.058. [Epub ahead of print]
- “Chidhood Obesity Facts” posted on the CDC website
- American Heart Association Nutrition Committee, Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, BrandsM,CarnethonM,Daniels S, FranchHA, et al.Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement fromthe American Heart Association nutrition committee. Circulation 2006;114:82-96
- Esselstyn CB, Gendy G, Doyle J, Golubic M, Roizen MF. A way to reverse CAD? J Fam Pract 2014;63:356-364b.
- Loria V. Myeloperoxidase: A New Biomarker of Inflammation in Ischemic Heart Disease and Acute Coronary Syndromes. Mediators Inflamm. 2008; 2008: 135625
- “A1C test” posted on Medline Plus
