Plant-Based vs. Low-Carbohydrate Diets: Presenting the Evidence
“Scientific research continues to show that a plant-based diet is a healthy dietary pattern. In fact, previous versions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have emphasized plant-based diets, and the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee appears to be supporting these previous conclusions.”
I’d heard this before, after the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) held their third public meeting on the subject this past May. The fourth meeting is scheduled to be held on the 17th and 18th of July, and there’s an opportunity to participate online, if you’re interested.
It does seem that plant-based diets — which are usually, although not always, synonymous with vegetarian or vegan diets — are gaining favor in terms of public perception of their health benefits and sustainability. While I value the contribution vegetables, fruits, and nuts make to our diet, I disagree that most people would benefit from adopting a diet consisting solely of plant foods and have written about this before. And I’m disappointed that low-carbohydrate diets aren’t being presented as an alternative at this point, particularly for the many groups of people who would benefit from them.
However, I dislike the confrontational and accusatory messages I’ve seen from many advocates on both sides in blog posts, comments, and social media sites. I’m passionate about carbohydrate restriction (apparently I’m not supposed to use this phrase to describe myself, but I think it fits), and I get upset when people criticize it and make claims about the superiority of plant-based diets too. But in my opinion, being respectful of the other side — who are often equally committed to their way of eating — while letting the evidence in favor of low-carbohydrate diets speak for itself, is the best way to go.
You may have already seen the debate between Dr. Eric Westman and Dr. T Colin Campbell held at the University of Alabama held in the spring of 2013. Both of these men have put many years into researching the effect of diet on various aspects of health. Each strongly believes that his way is the healthiest and most sustainable even though they are quite different. Dr. Campbell’s view is that a plant-based, low-protein, low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet provides optimal nutrition, while Dr. Westman favors an eating plan that is very low in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, and high in fat. I encourage you to watch the video if you haven’t already, or even if you have. Notice how Dr. Westman seeks to find common ground with statements like “There’s more than one way to achieve excellent health,” and then goes on to present the large body of evidence –including randomized clinical trials — supporting carbohydrate restriction for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity, with early but promising research on ketogenic diets for cancer and neurological disease. I strongly agree with this approach and feel it’s what will ultimately allow for more flexibility in the Dietary Guidelines — specifically, including low-carbohydrate diets as an option.
Brilliant!
Thank you so much for this post.
Thank you for your kind words, Karen! I truly appreciate the work that you and Professor Tim Noakes are doing to spread the LCHF message in South Africa.
I suspect Plant based vs Low carb falls into the battlefield of veg*n vs meat eating and is therefore unlikely to be a civilised debate.
A study of a low(ish) carbohydrate plant based diet would be handy – has one ever been done ?
Hi Phil,
Aside from Eco-Atkins, I don’t know of any other low-carb studies that were actually defined as plant-based.
The effect of a plant-based low-carbohydrate (“Eco-Atkins”) diet on body weight and blood lipid concentrations in hyperlipidemic subjects:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19506174
Participants in the low-carb Mediterranean Diet study below contained more plants than “typical” low-carbohydrate diet studies and also had favorable outcomes, although I’m not sure if it would be considered plant based (sorry, I don’t have the full text that shows what they were eating, but I did read the entire article a couple of years ago, and it included a large amount of vegetables, nuts, olives, and olive oil).
A low carbohydrate Mediterranean diet improves cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes control among overweight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 1-year prospective randomized intervention study:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20151996
There might be something in India, where both high carb vegetarian eating and diabetes are prevalent (hmm….) but I’m finding it had to sort the wheat from the chaff or the organ meat from the lean meat. Will have a look at eco-atkins, thanks
Prior to my diabetes diagnosis I tried to go vegan several times. I truly believed it was the best diet for me and I wanted to go vegan for ethical/moral reasons as well.
Even with those convictions I never went a full day truly vegan.
I completely understand those who want to go vegan/vegetarian, I ‘get it’ and I respect those who choose to attempt it.
I do not believe it is an optimum ‘way of eating’.
I’ve been “very low carb primal” and high fat for almost 5 years now… and loving it! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Steve! You are definitely one of the best examples of VLC success I’ve ever seen, along with being very inspirational and helpful to others.
If you haven’t checked out Steve’s blog yet, please do. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
http://www.diabetes-warrior.net
Very well reasoned and reasonable piece, Franzisca, and not just because I agree with your POV. Unfortunately, your hope or wish for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines is, in my opinion, unreasonably optimistic, to our public health and nutrition policy makers’ shame.
Thank you, Dan! I agree that the 2015 Guidelines likely won’t include a low-carb option, but by 2020 I truly hope and expect that they will.
“Very well reasoned and reasonable piece, Franzisca, and not just because I agree with your POV. Unfortunately, your hope or wish for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines is, in my opinion, unreasonably optimistic”
Maybe, but from acorns, oak trees grow. People who have benefited from a low carb lifestyle run to countless millions. Going against the multi national junk food outfits and big pharma is one tough gig for sure, but we are winning.
Five years ago, promoting butter as a safe and healthy food was almost unthinkable, not any more. Sugar is being talked about in the same light as smoking cigarettes.
Good always overcomes evil, but sometimes it takes a long time, and many good people are lost. The tide has turned, people are waking up, thanks to people like Franziska.
Kind regards Eddie
Thanks so much for your comments and kind words of support, Eddie!
Best to you and Jan.
While I eat non-starchy veggies, limited fruit (mostly berries), and avoid grains/legumes, I still cannot drop the last 15 pounds of fat that I wish to lose. I take it easy on the coconut oil and eat pastured eggs and meat. Any advice? Also, what are Sally Fallon, William Davis, Loren Cordain, Jimmy Moore and others doing wrong?
Hi Alexander,
Congratulations on the weight loss you’ve already achieved. There are many reasons for plateaus/stalls. It can be hormonal, eating too much, certain medications, or even that your goal weight is lower than your body wants to go. It’s good to hear that you’re eating a clean, balanced low-carb diet. You can try tracking your intake on MyFitnessPal to see how many calories, carbs, and fat you’re getting, but you may want to change things up by trying alternate-day or intermittent fasting. I can’t speculate as to why others have a hard time losing weight because I don’t know what they’re eating; however, as we age, it generally becomes harder to lose weight and maintain the loss. I wish you the very best of luck.
Thank you. Just reading the comments has been enlightening. For several weeks this year, I followed a mostly-vegan diet in an effort to curb my acid reflux without drugs. In return I got painful gas and overworked gut from things I used to be able to eat without ill effects: lentils, rice, chickpeas… It finally dawned on me that the carbs were my problem, and I reverted to good old 1960’s Weight Watchers/Atkins. My gut is calm, and my “fat furnace” has started up again. I think everyone’s metabolism is unique to them, and can even change over time and with age, and we each have to find out what food keeps us healthiest, and then stick to it!
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for sharing your experience with a mainly plant-based diet. I’m so glad you’ve found a way of eating that both alleviates your gut issues and facilitates fat loss. I wish you the best of health going froward.