Table 3.
An Overview of the Studies Included in This Review
| First Author, Year Published, Country |
Study Design | n Participants (Completed) | Study Population | Intervention Diet | Standard Diet | Duration of Intervention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnard et al 200011 USA |
RCT crossover |
51 (35) | Premenopausal women | Low-fat vegetarian diet | Original diet with supplement pills (vitamin B12 or placebo) | 2 menstrual cycles |
| Barnard et al 200512 USA |
RCT | 64 (59) Intervention n=29 |
Overweight, postmenopausal women | Low-fat vegan diet | NCEP guidelines | 14 weeks |
| Barnard et al 200913 USA |
RCT | 99 Intervention n=49 |
Individuals with T2DM | Low-fat vegan diet with low GI | 2003 ADA guidelines (participants with a BMI >25 were prescribed energy intake deficits of 500–100 kcal) | 22 weeks and 74 weeks |
| Barnard et al 201814 USA |
RCT | 45 (40) Intervention n=21 |
Individuals with T2DM | Low-fat vegan diet with low GI | Portion-controlled eating plan with energy intake limits (500 kcal deficit/day) | 20 weeks |
| Elkan et al 200815 Sweden |
RCT | 68 Intervention n=38 |
Rheumatoid arthritis | A 1-day low-energy fast followed by a gluten-free vegan diet for 1 year | Well-balanced non-vegan diet | 1 year |
| Ferdowsian et al 201016 USA |
Non-randomized, controlled study, multi-center | 113 (109) Intervention n=68 |
Overweight and/or previous T2DM | Low-fat vegan diet | 22 weeks | |
| Jakse et al 201718 Slovenia |
Non-randomized, controlled study | 325 (325) Intervention n=241 |
Participants who wanted to be included after spontaneously attending an introductory lecture | Low-fat vegan diet supplemented with two daily meal replacements | Individuals who only wanted to attend the lectures and adjust their diet by their own judgment | 10 weeks |
| Johansson et al 199219 Sweden |
Non-controlled study | 20 | Normal weight, non-smoking | Lacto-vegetarian diet | 3 months | |
| Kaartinen et al 200020 Finland |
Non-randomized, controlled study | 28 Intervention n=18 |
Women with fibromyalgia (of which 66% were overweight) | Low-salt, raw vegan diet rich in lactobacteria | Omnivore diet | 3 months |
| Kahleova et al 201821 USA |
RCT single-center | 75 (72) Intervention n=38 |
Overweight | Low-fat, high-carbohydrate vegan diet | Current diet | 16 weeks |
| Kahleova et al 201822 USA |
RCT single-center | 75 (72) Intervention n=38 |
Overweight | Low-fat, high-carbohydrate vegan diet | Current diet | 16 weeks |
| Kjeldsen-Kragh et al 199124 Norway |
RCT | 53 (34) Intervention n=27 |
Rheumatoid arthritis | A 1-month health farm program consisting of 7–10 days of fast followed by a gluten-free vegan diet (3.5 months) and a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (9 months) | Omnivore diet | 13 months |
| Mishra et al 201325 USA |
RCT multi-center | 291 (211) Intervention n=142 (94) |
Overweight and/or T2DM | Low-fat vegan diet | Current diet | 18 weeks |
| Moore et al 201526 USA |
RCT five-armed | 63 (58) | Overweight | Low-fat diets with low GI: vegan (n=12), vegetarian (n=13), pesco-vegetarian (n=13), semi-vegetarian (n=13) or omnivore (n=12) | 2 months and 6 months | |
| Pischke et al 201927 USA |
Non-controlled study | 440 (333) | Non-smoking patients with coronary artery disease with or without diabetes mellitus (predominantly T2DM) | Low-fat plant-based diet, exercise, and stress management | 1 year | |
| Sofi et al 201928 Italy |
RCT crossover | 118 (100) | Overweight omnivores with a low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk profile | Low-calorie lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet | Low-calorie Mediterranean diet | 3 months x2 |
| Toobert et al 200029 USA |
RCT | 28 (25) Intervention n=undisclosed |
Postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease | 1-week retreat with cooking and exercise classes, followed by a very low-fat vegetarian diet, stress management, exercise, group support and smoking cessation | «Usual care» | 1 week |
| Turner-McGrievy et al 200730 USA |
RCT | 62 (59) Intervention n=31 |
Overweight, postmenopausal women | Low-fat vegan diet | NCEP guidelines | 14 weeks |
| Turner-McGrievy et al 201531 USA |
RCT five-armed | 63 (50) | Overweight | Low-fat diets with low GI: vegan (n=12), vegetarian (n=13), pesco-vegetarian (n=13), semi-vegetarian (n=13) or omnivore (n=12) | 2 months and 6 months | |
| Wright et al 201732 New Zealand |
RCT single-center | 65 (49) Intervention n=33 |
Overweight or obesity and at least one of the following: T2DM, ischemic heart disease, hypertension or hypercholesterolemia | Low-fat WFPB diet | «Normal care» | 12 weeks |
Abbreviations: RCT, randomized controlled trials; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; GI, glycemic index; NCEP, National Cholesterol Education Program; ADA, American Diabetes Association; WFPB, whole-food plant-based diet.