Abstract
Plant-based diets (PBDs) are increasingly consumed by the Italian population and around the world. In particular, among PBDs, the vegan diet is a food pattern characterized by the exclusion of all animal-origin foods. What drives people to adopt this model are mainly ethical, health and environmental reasons. A vegan diet, if well-balanced and varied, can help in achieving and maintaining an optimal state of health. However, this nutritional approach, if not well-balanced, can cause deficiencies in proteins, ω-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin D and calcium, zinc, iodine and, above all, vitamin B12. Oral food supplements especially fortified foods are recommended in these cases to restore the nutritional deficiencies. A vegan diet generally reduces the risk of developing chronic non-communicable degenerative diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) and, in addition, requires fewer natural resources for food production than an omnivorous diet. The aim of this review is to analyze the possible impact of the vegan diet on MetS onset and its treatment.
Highlights
The most commonly adopted eating patterns in Western countries are represented by the Mediterranean diet (MD), dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), paleolithic diet, low-carb and low-fat diets, and plant-based diet (PBD) [1,2,3,4,5] (Figure 1).Over the past few years, the interest in Plant-based diets (PBDs) has increased both in the general population and in the scientific community, until it has become one of the main dietary patterns adopted in Western countries
In a further meta-analysis conducted by Kwok et al, the mortality rate for stroke was 22% lower in men that followed PBD compared to omnivores, but this association was not significant among women, demonstrating a gender-dependent effect [107,108]
Strict adherence to PBD offers more benefits in body weight and glycemic control than a diet based on the nutritional recommendations of the American Diabetes Society (ADA) and/or the European Society for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and it is associated with a greater reduction in the dose of hypoglycemic drugs [199]
Summary
The most commonly adopted eating patterns in Western countries are represented by the Mediterranean diet (MD), dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), paleolithic diet, low-carb and low-fat diets, and plant-based diet (PBD) [1,2,3,4,5] (Figure 1). Discuss the potential benefits arising be valid therapeutic adjuvant tool to counteract metabolic syndrome onset and theaadoption of a vegan diet compared to an omnivorous diet, in order to prevent and/or treat. In this wethe discuss potential arising on vegan diet (where and on its impact the clinicaldiet, impairments of from the adoption of aavailable) vegan diet compared to an on omnivorous in order totypical prevent. Studies were all in the English language and references for the included studies were manually retrieved
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