Which Is Better— a Plant-Based or Keto Diet?
The ketogenic or keto diet, which involves eating low carbs, moderate protein and high fats, is widely popular for aiding quick weight loss. However, a new study has found that there may be better ways to shed kilos and cut back on your calorie intake. A study published in Nature Medicine analysed both keto diet and, plant-based low-fat diet, to see which one is more effective for fat loss. Led by Kevin Hall, a scientist at National Institutes of Health, the study was conducted on a small group of 20 people, where half of them were asked to follow the keto diet, and the other half were asked to follow a high-carb, low-fat, plant-based diet.
All participants followed their designated diets for two weeks, and then switched on to the other one. It helped in getting the results of both diets to see which one worked better for calorie intake, fat loss and insulin levels. At the end of the study, Hall found that people who were on a low-fat diet experienced larger cut in calorie intake- around 700 calories, on an average. On the keto diet, the drop was somewhere around 300 calories. The low-fat plant-based diet also resulted in more fat loss than keto diet, but the difference was minimial. The study has its limitations, however. It was conducted for only a short period of time and so, it is unclear as to how much more fat can one lose by following either of the diet for a long period of time.
Excerpted from NDTV
