Plant-based diets have proven highly successful at helping patients lose weight and decrease the amount of medication required to treat chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes. Patients should ensure their diet contains plenty of sources of protein such as beans, nuts seeds and whole grains as well as adequate calcium and Vitamin B12.
Plant-based diets can help lower carbon emissions by decreasing consumption of meat and dairy.
Protein
Proteins are vital nutrients, performing numerous enzymatic and structural functions in plants, animals and humans alike. Foods containing plant proteins typically offer greater nutritional benefits due to higher concentrations of tryptophan, lysine and cysteine.
A plant-based diet includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, healthy oils, legumes (beans) and lentils as core foods to add variety and variety to our meals. MD Anderson recommends filling at least two-thirds of your plate with these foods; numerous studies show their beneficial impact on cardiometabolic risk factors (83-85).
Fiber
Fiber, an indigestible carbohydrate found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds is an important tool in combatting heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. It may even play a key role in improving overall health.
Plant-based diets offer an overall healthier approach, emphasizing whole grains, non-starchy fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, unsalted nuts and seeds and olive oil as main food groups. Meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and processed foods should be limited; vegetarianism (veganism), semi-veganism and flexitarianism are also among their tenets; while veganism excludes all animal products such as meat, milk cheese or eggs altogether.
Fats
Plant-based diets have the power to slow or even reverse heart disease, improve blood sugar control and decrease cholesterol levels, while simultaneously decreasing blood pressure and managing autoimmune conditions like Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Opting for plant-based fats such as nuts, seeds, oils and whole grains as part of a healthy eating pattern is crucial in regions where excess dietary fat has been linked with an increased heart disease risk. This is especially important in regions where excessive dietary fat intake has been linked with an increased heart disease risk.
Plant-based eating refers to an eating style which emphasizes plant foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains and legumes) while restricting or eliminating meat, fish/seafood/eggs/dairy products from one’s diet. It can either be vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian in nature.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of three large energy-yielding nutrients known as macronutrients that provide fuel for movement and exercise. Our bodies need carbohydrates as fuel when moving around or exercising.
When you consume carbohydrates, they break down into glucose and enter your bloodstream for instant energy. Glucose provides immediate energy that is used by both the brain and central nervous system as well as stored as glycogen for later use.
Simple carbs come from foods with naturally occurring sugars such as fruits and milk as well as added sugars in cookies, soda, and candy, while complex carbohydrates come from sources like beans, 100% whole grain cereals, vegetables, quinoa, buckwheat, potatoes as well as legumes that provide essential fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals for overall good health and are an integral component of a nutritious diet.
Vitamins
Micronutrient deficiencies like iron, vitamin D, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids can have serious repercussions for an athlete’s training capacity and recovery as well as longer-term health consequences [29]. Optimizing micronutrient intake among plant-based athletes requires an integrated strategy including meal planning, supplementation and an awareness of factors which enhance or inhibit absorption.
Leafy green vegetables such as kale, collard greens, and turnip greens are full of calcium and other vital nutrients, while legumes and whole grains contain zinc but may be difficult to absorb due to their high phytate content [122]. For plant-based athletes who compete, supplementation with methyl cobalamin (cyanocobalamin) as well as meal fortification may help meet dietary needs more easily.
Minerals
Plant-based nutrition emphasizes consuming whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds – sources of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which have been associated with lower risks of chronic diseases.
Minerals are chemical elements required by plants for growth and metabolism. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, nitrogen, oxygen, potassium and sodium are known as macrominerals essential for plant development; iron copper manganese sulfur are called microminerals essential to their functioning.
Diets that emphasize plant-based foods can lead to vitamin B12, iodine and zinc deficiencies as well as omega 3 fatty acid deficiencies unless supplementation or fortification are done regularly.
