Recent crossover study comparing Mediterranean and vegan diets among 62 ethnically diverse people with BMI 28-40. No meals provided but participants had weekly education about maintaining their respective diets. 16 weeks of one diet followed by a 4-week washout period and then 16 weeks of the other diet. This was a key comparison because there is good evidence around Mediterranean diet for CVD risk reduction, but its effect on other metabolic parameters has not been as impressive. The results showed vegan diet conferring more weight loss (net -6 kg weight loss compared to net 0 kg); increased insulin sensitivity; and decreased total cholesterol and LDL compared to the Mediterranean diet. But—the Mediterranean diet was more effective in lowering blood pressure. The authors attribute this to the vitamin E content of olive oil which was encouraged during the Mediterranean phase. I also wonder if these traditional eaters added more salt during the vegan phase. In the long run, blood pressure is difficult to control without normalization of weight. And vegan diets are known to protect against stroke and chronic kidney disease, the major reasons we concerns ourselves with hypertension in the first place. So one might interpret this as a gold metal for more exclusively plant-based eating patterns with an honorable mention for olive oil.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07315724.2020.1869625
herbivores.life 