Diet: Low-Fat, Plant-Based Vegan Diet Appears to Reduce Heart Disease Risk in Obese Minors.

Obese children and adolescents can reduce their risk of heart disease by adopting a low fat, plant-based vegan diet. Participants in a new study ate plants and whole grains, consumed no added fat or animal products, and limited consumption of avocado/nuts. This resulted in a reduced intake of animal protein from 42 grams a day to 2.24 grams a day, while their percentage of calories from fat and saturated fat fell to 18% and 3.6%, respectively. The research team found that this diet approach was effective in reducing a number of risk factors for heart disease such as body mass index and total cholesterol. The Journal of Pediatrics, February 2015