Implementation of a Whole Food Plant Based Diet in a Food as Prevention Program in a Resource Constrained Environment.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a Whole Food Plant-based (WFPB) diet in improving weight and biochemical markers of disease in a clinical setting.
Results Summary
Adoption of a WFPB diet led to significant weight loss (4.3 kg), reduced total cholesterol and triglycerides, and increased HDL levels. The study demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in metabolic health markers.
Population
17 participants (average age 59 years, 59% female) with conditions like hyperlipidemia, hypertension, coronary artery disease, fatty liver disease, and diabetes mellitus.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Median attendance of 3 group sessions (exact duration not specified)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whole Food Plant-based (WFPB) diet | decrease | weight | participants referred to a "Food as Prevention" program | 4.3 kg | led to significant decreases | #1 |
Whole Food Plant-based (WFPB) diet | decrease | total cholesterol | participants referred to a "Food as Prevention" program | 0.72 mmol/L | led to significant decreases | #2 |
Whole Food Plant-based (WFPB) diet | decrease | triglycerides | participants referred to a "Food as Prevention" program | 0.53 mmol/L | led to significant decreases | #3 |
Whole Food Plant-based (WFPB) diet | increase | high-density lipoprotein (HDL) | participants referred to a "Food as Prevention" program | 0.10 mmol/L | increase | #4 |
BACKGROUND: The efficacy of a Whole Food Plant-based (WFPB) diet has been shown in randomized controlled trials in diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. However, it's effectiveness in routine clinical settings is less well documented. This study describes the implementation and outcomes of a "Food as Prevention" program run by a single clinician. METHODS: Participants were referred to a "Food as Prevention" program run by a single gastroenterologist at an academic teaching center. The program included 5 physician-led discussion and small group educational sessions. Data collected included demographics, weight and biochemical measurements before and after completion of the program. Statistical analysis included paired t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess differences before and after WFPB implementation. RESULTS: A total of 17 participants (age 59 years; 59% female) with an average weight of 90.0 kg attended a median of 3 group sessions. Majority of patients had hyperlipidemia (71%) followed by hypertension (47%) and coronary artery disease (35%), fatty liver disease (35%) and diabetes mellitus (29%). Adoption of a WFPB diet led to significant decreases in weight (4.3 kg; p < 0.01), total cholesterol (0.72 mmol/L; p = 0.046), and triglycerides (0.53 mmol/L; p = 0.005) with an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (0.10 mmol/L; p = 0.01).Conclusions Implementation of the WFPB diet in this novel pilot program led to weight loss and improvement in biochemical markers of disease. Future studies are needed to implement this model on a larger scale.