A new study found that people who follow a vegan diet have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids , higher levels of phytochemicals needed to fight disease, and higher levels of compounds that reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of disease. The results of the study were published in the medical journal Nutrition.
A new study by The Loma Linda University School of public health revealed another significant health benefit associated with the transition to plant-based food.
Although other vegetarian diets have also shown good results, vegans have been found to have the healthiest levels of food-related biomarkers.
The biomarker of aging is a biological parameter by which in the absence of disease it is possible to predict the functional state of the organism better than by chronological age.
Like evidence at the crime scene, biomarkers in blood, urine, adipose tissue and other biological samples can serve as indicators or predictors of health and disease.
Biomarkers can have beneficial or adverse health effects by contributing to the emergence or prevention of cancer, cardiovascular, age-related and other chronic diseases.
Researchers at the School of public health found that the vegan diet surpassed other vegetarian diets, all of which were better than semi-vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
Myles faith, PhD, associate Professor of the school and the study's lead author, said the study of the influence of different diets on the level and quality of biomarkers, probably gives the explanation of other positive health outcomes that have been observed in vegetarians and vegans compared to-vegetarians are.
"Understanding that a healthier level of biomarkers is observed on a plant-based diet can help motivate people to change their habits and move to healthy foods that promote good health and prevent disease," miles emphasized.
Previous research at Loma Linda University has shown that vegetarians and vegans live longer than meat eaters and have a lower risk of developing cancer, diabetes and cardiometabolic disorders.
Miles and her colleagues wondered if five different diets, characterized by different levels of consumption of animal products, could provide biomarkers that correlated with the results of these diets.
To find out, they looked at the data of 840 participants from five categories:
The first included vegans, as well as those who adhere to a vegetarian diet and never or rarely eat eggs, dairy products, fish or meat.
The second is lacto-ovo vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy products more than once a month, but never or rarely — fish or meat.
The third group consisted of sand-vegetarians, who eat fish at least once a month, but never or rarely — meat.
The fourth group brought together people on a semi-vegetarian diet who eat meat and possibly fish at least once a month, but less often than once a week.
Finally, the fifth group included non-vegetarians who eat meat at least once a week.
As expected, vegans have the highest number of bioactive markers to prevent disease. Indicators of phytochemicals (compounds in plants), including carotenoids, isoflavones and enterolactone, were higher in vegetarians and the highest in vegans.
In addition, vegans also had the best omega-3s due to the higher alpha-linolenic acid content and the lowest levels of saturated fatty acids.
Miles thought that lacto-ovo vegetarians would take second place, but in reality their results were almost no different from the sand-vegetarians.
She also expressed surprise that the test results of the semi-vegetarians were not much better than the non-vegetarians, who were in last place.