A low-fat vegan diet produced weight loss comparable to the injectable medication semaglutide during a 16-week clinical study, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers from a group of U.S. universities, including the University of Utah, followed 224 overweight adults with an average age of 54. Participants assigned to the vegan diet lost an average of 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds), the study found.
Trials of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, show an average weight loss of 6.9 kilograms over nine months, according to the report. The results add to prior research linking plant-based diets to weight loss and reduced diabetes risk; a study from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine found that a vegan diet may lower diabetes risk by up to 23%, according to NaturalNews.com [1].
Study Design and Dietary Changes
The trial divided participants into two groups. Half adopted a low-fat vegan diet, while the other half maintained their original eating habits, according to the researchers. Those following the vegan diet could eat unlimited fruit, vegetables, grains, and legumes such as chickpeas and beans, but were instructed to avoid meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs.
After 16 weeks, average daily calorie intake in the vegan group fell from 1,834 to 1,343 calories, a decrease of more than 25%, the study reported. Average vegetable intake rose by about 150 grams per day, fruit intake by about 80 grams, legume consumption nearly tripled, and intake of plant-based meat alternatives more than doubled, according to the report. The reduction occurred without a prescribed calorie limit. Calorie restriction by itself has been shown to promote weight loss and overall health, according to a Yale University study cited by Mercola.com [2].
Previous research has found that a 16-week plant-based diet can enhance gut microbes linked to body weight and blood sugar management, according to findings from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reported by NaturalNews.com [3].
Comparison With Semaglutide Trials
Semaglutide injections are used by approximately three million Britons, according to the report. Some studies on the injectable drugs show a more gradual effect, with patients losing an average of 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) over seven months, the report stated. The vegan diet produced its average loss in 16 weeks, a shorter period than the nine-month drug trials, the report noted.
The researchers wrote in JAMA Network Open that the dietary intervention 'may be an effective treatment for overweight adults.' The drug class has drawn scrutiny from critics. Rob Verkerk, Ph.D., writing for Children's Health Defense, questioned whether GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy represent a bubble that 'downplays real risks, oversells benefits and ushers in lifelong medicalization for millions' [4].
Mechanism and Secondary Findings
The researchers stated that meat-heavy diets are more energy-dense, meaning they contain more calories per unit of food. Plant-based foods, by contrast, are 'high in water and fiber and low in fat, increasing food volume without a proportional increase in energy content,' according to the research team. This promotes satiety and reduces energy intake without deliberate calorie restriction, they wrote.
Secondary findings included more stable blood sugar, reduced fat in the liver and muscles, and increased calorie burn during digestion for the vegan group. The findings align with evidence that whole-food, plant-based diets reduce fat inside muscle and liver cells and reverse insulin resistance, according to the book 'Eating Plant-Based: Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions' [5]. Separate research found that plant-based diets enhance insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in overweight adults with no history of diabetes, according to a study in the journal Nutrients reported by NaturalNews.com [6].
A study from the University of Southern Denmark has also suggested that dietary composition can influence the body's calorie-burning rate; researchers found that reducing two common amino acids can trigger the body to burn more calories, according to NaturalNews.com [7]. The scientists acknowledged the study's limitations, including reliance on self-reported food consumption and the possibility that volunteers do not represent the wider population.
Expert Commentary and Nutritional Considerations
Separate studies have shown vegans are less likely to suffer heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than meat eaters, according to the report. A study published in Diabetes Care found that a vegan diet may be better for Type 2 diabetics than the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association, according to researchers from George Washington University [8].
Some clinicians cautioned that the diet requires planning. Vitamin B12 is 'fundamental to the function of the human body' and is 'almost entirely absent from a vegan diet,' Dr. Julian Owen, consultant trauma and orthopedic surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital, said in comments reported by the article. The vitamin is well absorbed from fortified nondairy milks, breakfast cereals, and supplements, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine [9]. Health experts have warned that vegans who do not supplement may face deficiency symptoms, including 'permanent numbness in their hands and feet,' according to NaturalNews.com [10]. The National Health Service advises vegans to take a daily vitamin B12 supplement, the article noted.
Plant-based foods are generally easier on the household food budget than meat, although soy milk is considerably more expensive than cow's milk, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Diets [11].
Conclusion
The study's authors wrote that the findings suggest dietary composition can meaningfully influence energy intake and metabolism. The intervention involved no medication and no mandated calorie target, according to the researchers. Around 3.5 million people in the United Kingdom are believed to follow a plant-based diet, according to the report.
The updated U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, announced in January 2026, encourage consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while advising against highly processed foods, according to NaturalNews.com. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. summarized the guidance as 'EAT REAL FOOD' [12].
References
- NaturalNews.com. "Following a vegan diet promotes gut health and weight loss, lowers diabetes risk by 23%". NaturalNews.com. August 20, 2020.
- Mercola.com. "Lowering Calories by Just 14 Enhances Your Health". Mercola.com. February 25, 2022.
- NaturalNews.com. "Diabetes prevention: Following a 16-week vegan diet boosts gut microbes linked to body weight and blood sugar management". NaturalNews.com. September 11, 2020.
- Rob Verkerk. "Weight-Loss Drugs: What Pharma and Regulators Aren't Telling the Public". Children's Health Defense.
- Shireen Kassam and Zahra Kassam. "Eating Plant-Based: Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions".
- NaturalNews.com. "Plant-based diet improves insulin sensitivity in overweight people with no history of diabetes". NaturalNews.com. December 23, 2018.
- NaturalNews.com. "Beyond the ice bath: Could a plant-based diet trick your body into burning fat?". NaturalNews.com. July 24, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Vegan diet found to markedly improve health". NaturalNews.com. July 27, 2006.
- "The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine".
- NaturalNews.com. "Vegans are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency: Experts recommend supplementation to prevent nerve damage". NaturalNews.com. April 15, 2021.
- "The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition".
- NaturalNews.com. "Dietary Guidance Highlights Lesser-Known Sources of Plant-Based Protein". NaturalNews.com. April 13, 2026.
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