Plant based diets are gaining ground in recent times and are considered better than animal based diets. Now, what is a plant-based diet? A plant-based diet is a diet that consists of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds and avoids the consumption of animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. Let us take a look at certain benefits of plant-based diets:
I tried eating a vegetarian diet for 12 years.
Then I tried eating a vegan diet for 3 years.
The good & the bad.
*Bookmark this if you’ve ever wanted to know the truth about plant based diets. pic.twitter.com/XPSFdGFtp2
— Jason Wayne Kelly (@JasonWayneKelly) December 10, 2024Improves Immune System
The fiber-rich plant-based diets also contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that have proven benefits in strengthening the immune system. A strong immune system is the first line of defence against infections and helps you protect yourself from various illnesses. Plant-based foods are rich in antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and other essential minerals. Antioxidants are known to protect cells from damage.
Aids in weight loss
Plant-based diets contribute to the healthy management of weight. Plant-based foods are high in fibre as plants are mostly composed of fibre. Sticking to plant-based diets leads to the exclusion of many food items, which leads to weight gain. This low-calorie food helps in a healthy balance of weight and thus prevents obesity and related health complications.
Good for Gut Health
Plant-based diet improves gut health and enables your body to better absorb the nutrients from food. Improved gut health enables better digestion and strengthens the immune system. It is also known to reduce inflammation. Fiber-rich plant-based food is good for bowel management.
Reduces risk of other disease
The abundance of fibre, antioxidants, and healthy fats in plant-based foods helps lower cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure. Plant based diets are also known for their ability to stabilise blood sugar. Moreover, plant-based diets are free of cholesterol, which is often related to animal based food and known to accelerate heart issues.
Reduces Risk of Chronic disease
Plant-based diets are rich in fibre, several vitamins and minerals. Unlike animal-based foods, which are rich in cholesterol, fat and protein, the plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and stroke.
Type of Plant-based diets
Plant based diets are of multiple types, namely, vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian. A vegan diet refers to a dietary pattern that excludes animal products, including dairy, fish, eggs, meat, and honey. A vegetarian diet includes plant-based foods and excludes direct consumption of animals. Honey dairy products form a necessary part of vegetarianism. Vegetarians further categorise their diets into several types, including lacto-vegetarian, ovo-vegetarianism, and pescatarian. Lacto-vegetarian is a vegetarian diet which is based on milk products like cheese, milk, butter, and yogurt. It excludes animal products, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
Ovo-vegetarianism is a dietary pattern that excludes all animal products except eggs. Here again, the pescatarian diet includes plant-based foods along with fish and seafood. However, it excludes meat and poultry. Flexitarian is a food consumption pattern that is based on flexibility and, hence, the name. It is mostly plant-based but occasionally includes small amounts of meat or other animal products.
Negative Effects of Animal-Based Diets
Recently, there has been a rising trend among experts and fitness enthusiasts to ditch animal-based diets in favour of plant-based diets. There are plenty of reasons for this trend as it seems. Animal-based diets are now increasingly being associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, climate change challenges, nutrient deficiencies, and zoonotic diseases, among others.
Consumption of animal-based diets is often seen as aggravating certain chronic diseases. Heart disease is related to a high intake of saturated fat. Moreover, the high cholesterol content of animal products can raise LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels, choke the arteries and increase the risk of chronic heart disease. In addition to this, Type 2 Diabetes is linked to Animal-based diets as the latter is known to have a high glycemic index, which often causes spikes in blood sugar levels. Moreover, an animal-based diet is often associated with certain types of cancer like colorectal cancer, pancreatic, oesophagal, and uterine cancer.
Animal-based food items are usually low in fibre and high in protein and fat. While protein and good fats are good for health, it must be remembered that fibre is necessary for good digestive health as its adequate consumption checks constipation by adding bulk to stool. Moreover, Animal-based diets often lack antioxidants and, therefore, fail effectively to protect cells from damage. These nutrient deficiencies often make a plant-based diet a better option than an animal-based diet.
With rising environmental health consciousness among people, especially the younger generation, the environmental impact of a plant-based diet can no longer be ignored. It has been observed from accumulated research findings that the meat industry contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane. Moreover, ranching is largely responsible for deforestation and water pollution. In addition to that, raising animals is a very resource-intensive process as it consumes large tracts of land, water, and energy and is also ethically problematic. Moreover, animal meat is often in the headlines for the spread of several zoonotic diseases.
FAQ
1. What is a plant-based diet, and how does it differ from a traditional diet?
A plant-based diet primarily focuses on plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It limits or excludes animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. Unlike traditional diets, which often rely heavily on animal proteins, plant-based diets emphasize the nutritional value and health benefits of plant-derived foods.
2. What are the key health benefits of adopting a plant-based diet?
Plant-based diets offer a multitude of health benefits, including improved immune system, healthy weight management, enhanced gut health, reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and stroke.
3. What are the negative impacts of animal-based diets?
Animal-based diets are now increasingly being associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, climate change challenges, nutrient deficiencies, and zoonotic diseases, among others.
4. What are the different types of plant-based diets?
There are several types of plant-based diets including vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, lacto-vegetarian, pescatarian and ovo-vegetarian.
5. What is lacto-vegetarian diet?
Lacto-vegetarian is a vegetarian diet which is based on milk products like cheese, milk, butter, and yogurt. It excludes animal products, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
