The Benefits Of A Plant-based Diet

What is a Plant-based diet?

A plant based diet is a diet that involves consuming mostly or only on foods that come from plants. This diet also focuses on healthful whole foods, rather than processed foods.

Health Benefits of a Plant based Diet

This diet offers many possible health benefits, including:

1. Better weight management

Plant based diets are high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, and water content from fruit and vegetables. This may help to keep people feeling fuller for longer time and also increases energy use when resting. Various research suggests that people who primarily eat plant based diets tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and lower rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease than those who eat meat.

2. Lowers the risk of heart disease and maintains cardiovascular health

Studies suggest that following a plant-based diet may lower the risk of developing certain heart diseases by up to 16% and also reduce the cardiovascular mortality risk by around 31%. This is because the saturated fat present in meat may lead to heart problems, when consumed in excess amount.

3. Reduces blood pressure

Hypertension is a common risk factor for wide range of serious health complications but right dietary choices can help you keep it under control. A number of studies have found a link between following a plant-based and reduced blood pressure levels. Studies reveal that those following a plant based diet are 34% less likely to get affected by high blood pressure than non-vegetarians.

4. Lowers Arthritis pain

A plant based diet is generally low in fat and contains healthy amounts of fibre, both of which have been linked to reduce inflammation in the body thereby making it a considerable diet option for individuals suffering from arthritis. A study was conducted to see the effect of whole foods and plant based diet on people with osteoarthritis symptoms and it was found that those who followed this type of diet had reduced pain in 2 weeks along with improvement in motor function.

5. Minimizes risk of certain cancer

Some long-term studies suggest that maintaining a plant based diet may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Plant-based foods are rich in phytochemicals which are known to stop bodily processes that promote the growth of cancer. Additionally, a plant based diet is typically rich in fibre, which is known to reduce the incidence of colorectal and breast cancer. This type of diet also contributes towards healthy weight management and weight loss, further reducing the risk of other types of cancer.

6. Prevents Type 2 Diabetes

Plant-based foods contain significantly lesser amount of saturated fat when compared to animal-based food products which makes them a great dietary alternative. One of the studies suggests that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 2.9% among vegetarians vs. 7.6% among non-vegetarians. Another study suggests that following a plant based diet that contains high-quality plant-based foods, may significantly decrease the risk of being affected by type 2 diabetes.

7. Improves brain functioning

Researchers of one of the renowned school of medicine found that by increasing the consumption of plant-based foods and with reduced intake of foods with high level of saturated fat, it can improve your brain function and also minimise the risk of being affected by cognitive decline and dementia.

8. Enhances gut health

Enhanced gut health is one of the important benefits of plant based diet. Following a plant based diet is ideal for those who want to improve their gut health. This is because the high fibrous content of plant based foods helps to promote gut microbiota diversity which leads to stronger immunity, better metabolism, and healthy bowel movement. A healthy gut also helps to reduce the risk of obesity by contributing to effective appetite regulation.

9. Improves life expectancy

Researchers suggest that people of any age can add years to their life expectancy by following a more plant-based diet. They say young adults can add more than a decade to their expected lifespan with this change in eating habits