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Review
. 2021 Mar 2;13(3):817.
doi: 10.3390/nu13030817.

Vegan Diet Health Benefits in Metabolic Syndrome

Giulia Marrone  1   2 , Cristina Guerriero  1 , Daniela Palazzetti  1 , Paolo Lido  1 , Alessandro Marolla  3 , Francesca Di Daniele  1   2 , Annalisa Noce  1
Affiliations
Review

Vegan Diet Health Benefits in Metabolic Syndrome

Giulia Marrone et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Plant-based diets (PBDs) are increasingly consumed by the Italian population and around the world. In particular, among PBDs, the vegan diet is a food pattern characterized by the exclusion of all animal-origin foods. What drives people to adopt this model are mainly ethical, health and environmental reasons. A vegan diet, if well-balanced and varied, can help in achieving and maintaining an optimal state of health. However, this nutritional approach, if not well-balanced, can cause deficiencies in proteins, ω-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin D and calcium, zinc, iodine and, above all, vitamin B12. Oral food supplements especially fortified foods are recommended in these cases to restore the nutritional deficiencies. A vegan diet generally reduces the risk of developing chronic non-communicable degenerative diseases, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) and, in addition, requires fewer natural resources for food production than an omnivorous diet. The aim of this review is to analyze the possible impact of the vegan diet on MetS onset and its treatment.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; chronic non-communicable diseases; dietary pattern; metabolic syndrome; plant-based diet; vegan diet.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Main PBD dietary patterns. Abbreviation: PBDs, plant-based diets.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Full search strategy.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Vegan pyramid.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effects of vegan diet on cardiovascular protection. Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; K+, potassium; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; Mg+, magnesium; ↑ increase; ↓ decrease.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Definition of metabolic syndrome according to Adult Treatment Panel III National Cholesterol Education Program (ATP III-NCEP). BP, blood pressure; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein- cholesterol; TG, triglycerides.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effects of vegan diet on metabolic syndrome. APO, apolipoprotein; FM, fat mass; SFAs, saturated fatty acids; ↑ increase; ↓ decrease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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