What is a Plant-based Diet?
A plant-based diet is one which places its prime focus at foods obtained by plants. Foods generally included in this diet are fruits, veggies, legumes, tubers, seeds and grains. People on plant-based diets typically avoid beef, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, or eat them only in small quantities.
There is no official set of rules on how to follow a plant-based diet and there are several different varieties of eating plans. Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw food, Flexitarian, Pescatarian, Fruitarian, Engine 2 diet, and Mediterranean diets all fall under the plant-based diet umbrella, even though some may allow for small portions of fish, poultry, or dairy.
Advantages of a Plant-based Diet:
- You get high levels of Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber, And Antioxidants in your regular diet
- Weight management is ensured
- Risk of developing digestive diseases is reduced
- LDL and total cholesterol levels are lowered- plant-based diets are low in saturated fats and are cholesterol-free
- Risk of developing type II diabetes and heart disease is reduced
- Glycemic control is improved
- You get protection against certain types of cancers for instance colon and breast cancer
- Brain function is improved
- It helps in the prevention and management of Alzheimer’s and dementia
Disadvantages of a Plant-based Diet:
- Low protein intake due to the avoidance of poultry, meat etc.
- Can result in Iron deficiency
- Decreased bone mineralization and increased risk of fractures from lower intake of calcium and vitamin D
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Lower essential fatty acid intake
- Adapting to your new diet may take some time
- You will have to prepare most of your food by yourself which can be hard for most people
Final Thoughts:
This diet is not as difficult to implement as people think. If you eat right, you’re going to get a lot of the valuable nutrients that you need which includes a lot of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. If you opt to get your healthy fats from things like avocados and olive oil, you’re going to help reduce cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, and you’ll reduce the risk of certain cancers, so vegetarian or primarily plant-based diets can be a great thing.
Choosing to consume plant-based diet may positively impact the environment and improve the health of majority of individuals.
