Want to lose weight? Go VEGAN! Cutting out all animal products is 'better than other weight-loss plans,' say scientists

Cut out carbs, eat a high-protein diet and fast for two days a week.

All are popular dieting plans, and all promise to help followers shed pounds.

But scientists have discovered the best way to lose weight is to eliminate all animal products and follow a vegan diet.

A study has shown people on vegetarian diets, and especially those on a vegan diet, see better results than those following other weight-loss plans.

Those who eliminated all meat and dairy products, lost just over 5lbs (2.5kg), more than non-vegetarian dieters.

Ru-Ti Huang, of E-Da Hospital in Taiwan, said researchers reached their conclusions after reviewing the results of 12 different diet trials. 

The study involved 1,151 dieters who followed a specific eating regime for between nine and 74 weeks.

It marks the first piece of research to combine the findings from various independent projects that weighed up the results of vegetarian diets against other eating plans. 

These include Atkins diets, and others recommended by the American Diabetes Association or the US National Cholesterol Education Program. 

Overall, dieters assigned to the vegetarian diet groups lost significantly more weight - around 4.4lb (2kg) - than dieters who ate meat and other animal products. 

Those following a vegan diet lost even more weight.

Comparatively, vegans lost around 5lb (2.5kg) more than their non-vegetarian dieting peers. 

Vegetarians who consumed dairy products and eggs lost around 3lb (1.4kg) more than those on a non-vegetarian diet.

And those who followed vegetarian diets that prescribed a lower than normal intake of calories - energy-restriction plans - also shed more kilograms than those without any such limitations being placed on their eating habits. 

Dr Huang said the abundant intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables might play a role in the favourable results seen in vegetarian diets.

Wholegrain products and vegetables generally have a low glycemic index (GI), and as a result do not cause blood sugar levels to spike.

Fruits are rich in fibre, antioxidants, minerals and protective chemicals that naturally occur in plants.

Wholegrain products contain soluble fibres.

This helps to delay the speed at which food leaves the stomach and ensures good digestion.

It also allows enough nutrients to be absorbed while food moves through the intestines. 

Several past studies have found that fibre consumption aids weight loss.

Dr Huang said: 'Vegetarian diets are more effective than non-vegetarian diets for weight loss.'

He added that longer term intervention trials are needed to investigate the effect of vegetarian diets on weight control and cardio-metabolic risk.

The findings appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.