A Vegan Diet Is Associated with a Significant Reduction in Dietary Acid Load: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Individuals

The composition of diet strongly affects acid-base homeostasis. Western diets abundant in acidogenic foods (meat and cheese) and deficient in alkalizing foods (fruits and vegetables) increase dietary acid load (DAL). A high DAL has been associated with numerous health repercussions, including cardiovascular disease and type-2-diabetes. Plant-based diets have been associated with a lower DAL; however, the number of trials exploring this association is limited. This randomized-controlled trial sought to examine whether an isocaloric vegan diet lowers DAL as compared to a meat-rich diet. Forty-five omnivorous individuals were randomly assigned to a vegan diet (n = 23) or a meat-rich diet (n = 22) for 4 weeks. DAL was determined using potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) scores at baseline and after 3 and 4 weeks, respectively. After 3 weeks, median PRAL (-23.57 (23.87)) and mean NEAP(R) (12.85 +/- 19.71) scores were significantly lower in the vegan group than in the meat-rich group (PRAL: 18.78 (21.04) and NEAP(R): 60.93 +/- 15.51, respectively). Effects were mediated by a lower phosphorus and protein intake in the vegan group. Our study suggests that a vegan diet is a potential means to reduce DAL, whereas a meat-rich diet substantially increases the DAL burden.

Automated summary

The composition of diet plays a significant role in acid-base balance. A plant-based vegan diet may reduce dietary acid load, while a meat-rich diet can increase the burden of dietary acid load.