Vegan diets are good for hearthealth , but low-carb diets improve blood sugar control, research suggests.- Combining the two may be "the best of both worlds," according to a doctor who tried it for 30 days.
- Dr. Anna Borek said low-carb,
plant-based eating was easier than expected and improved her health and strength, so she's sticking with it long-term.
When it comes to healthy eating, it can be hard to pick between popular trends like low-carb and vegan diets.
Dr. Anna Borek, a physician who's worked in general practice as well as in hospitals, noticed her patients often suffered from disease related to unhealthy eating habits. So she wanted to experiment with eating healthily herself by trying a 30-day challenge to eat a low-carb
Borek told Insider low-carb diets tend to rely heavily on high-fat animal products such as red meat, processed meats, and butter, which evidence suggests can be detrimental to health, particularly heart health. She wanted to show it was possible to get the benefits of whole plant foods in addition to low-carb (defined as no more than 50 grams of net carbs, or total carbs minus fiber, per day).
"I get the sense that many people think it's virtually impossible to eat this way. Others seem to think that such a diet would be insipid, boring, etc," she told Insider. "I wanted to show that these ideas are very much mistaken: a plant-based low-carb diet can be viable, enjoyable and healthy."
Borek said it was surprisingly easy to come up with meals and said the diet led to significant benefits for her health and fitness. So she's continued to follow a low-carb, plant-based diet (with occasional higher-carb days) beyond the 30 day challenge.
Plant-based low-carb eating was surprisingly sustainable
Borek said that after starting the experiment, she noticed mild symptoms like hunger, aches, and fatigue (common temporary side effects of transitioning to low-carb diets), but she said it dissipated in less than a week.
Previously Borek said she had eaten a mostly plant-based diet, but high in carb-rich foods like fruits, legumes, and whole grains, as well as veggies, seeds, and nuts.
She said planning her low-carb meals was less of a challenge then she anticipated, however, and she unexpectedly found that she didn't miss high-carb foods much.
"I quickly got into the swing of things and established a large range of low-carb, high-quality plant-based foods which could be combined in various ways to create a diverse repertoire of meals," she said. "To my surprise I enjoyed the low-carb fare so much that I experienced no sense of deprivation."
A few nutrient-dense foods she included regularly were tofu, kale, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, and sunflower seeds, rich in nutrients like B vitamins and calcium.
The diet also boosted exercise performance
Low-carb diets are sometimes controversial in fitness because carbohydrates are an important source of energy for athletes.
Borek found, to her surprise, her yoga practice and weight training only got better after the dietary change to plant-based, low-carb.
"If anything, my strength improved. I speculate that this may be related to eating more calories from protein," Borek said.
Protein is an essential nutrient for muscle recovery, according to research. There's some evidence a nutrient-dense plant-based diet can benefit athletes by improving endurance and boosting recovery after exercise.
Strong evidence suggests plant-based diets have a range of health benefits
Beyond the anecdotes, research suggests plant-based diets can benefit our health. Studies have shown plant-based diets are linked to lower risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes and improved measures of health like blood pressure.
Borek said since posting about her experience, several people have told her they were inspired to include more plants in their diet, with good results.
"These sorts of interactions motivate me to continue tweeting about