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The OMNIVEG STUDY: Health outcomes of shifting from a traditional to a vegan Mediterranean diet in healthy men. A controlled crossover trial.
Plain-language summary
This study asked whether shifting from a traditional Mediterranean diet to a vegan version of it changes fitness and blood fats in healthy, physically active men. Fourteen men aged 18 to 37 ate a traditional Mediterranean diet for three weeks, took a seven-day break, then ate an isocaloric vegan Mediterranean diet for four weeks, in that fixed order rather than a shuffled one. The animal foods were swapped for plant foods carrying comparable protein and fat, so the calories were held steady and the source changed. On the vegan version, total cholesterol fell by 22.6 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol (the cholesterol that builds up in artery walls, where lower is better) fell by 12.8 mg/dl. Men who ate more fiber had lower LDL cholesterol.
Key findings
- Shifting to a vegan Mediterranean diet reduced total cholesterol by 22.6 mg/dl.
- Shifting to a vegan Mediterranean diet reduced LDL cholesterol by 12.8 mg/dl.
- Higher dietary fiber intake was linked to lower LDL cholesterol.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- This was a controlled crossover trial in which every man ate both diets in the same fixed order, so each man is his own comparison, and with no randomization and no separate control group the order of the diets cannot be ruled out as an influence.
- Population
- The study included 14 physically active and healthy men aged 18 to 37.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Takeaway
- This study found that swapping the animal foods in a Mediterranean diet for plant foods with the same protein and fat lowered total and LDL cholesterol in healthy, active men over four weeks. If your cholesterol is something you want to move, it may be worth making that swap for a month and having it measured again, since this was fourteen men and a short run.