Plant based diets are supposed to be better in terms of improving health, boosting energy levels and could even prevent certain chronic diseases. A plant based diet focuses not only on fruits and vegetables, but also legumes, whole grains and oils. There are small differences between a vegetarian, vegan and a plant based diet.
A vegetarian diet includes food derived from meat, fish and poultry. Vegetarians who eat eggs but not dairy products are known as ovo vegetarians. Lacto vegetarians are those who include dairy products but exclude eggs. People who include both eggs and dairy products are known as Lacto-ovo-vegetarians.
Vegans exclude all meat, poultry and any food items derived from animals. They completely avoid animal exploitation in all its forms.
A plant based diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. Their diets are more flexible and might include occasional consumption of meat, dairy, fish and seafood products.
Some clinical studies even show that following a balanced plant based diet can lower your risk of various metabolic diseases. It could reduce the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes etc.
This article is going to explain the certain benefits of following a plant based diet.
No.1 – Lowers Your Blood Pressure
Hypertension or high BP is one of the most common diseases of our time. It increases the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, stroke etc. Following a plant based diet in a balanced form could reduce the chances of your blood pressure shooting up.
No.2 – Good For Your Heart
Following a diet that includes a lot of protein that comes from meat could increase the chances of cholesterol building in your arteries which over time could lead to heart diseases like cardiac arrest. The saturated fats in meat is what causes this. Plant based diets include fruits, vegetables, legumes etc which contain very less saturated fats when compared to meat. Considering these points a plant based diet is quite heart friendly, you could say.
No.3 – Can Lower The Risk Of Obesity
A plant based diet can help in maintaining your body weight as it is rich in antioxidants, fibers and various vitamins. A diet that includes a lot of meat contains a lot of saturated fats which can increase the chances of you gaining weight. However, if a plant based diet is not followed in balance, that could lead to an increase in weight as well.
No.4 – Reduces The Chance Of Type 2 Diabetes
One of the major causes of diabetes is lifestyle. Of course hereditary factors also do play a role in this but the major cause is definitely lifestyle. Body weight due to fatty deposits play a crucial role in this. Following a plant based diet reduces the rate of these deposits forming and therefore reduces the chances of getting diabetes.
No.5 – Could Reduce The Risk Of Cancer
Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds contain cancer-protective nutrients and fibers. Cancer Management and Research published a review stating that a plant-based diet lowers the risk of certain cancers by 10%. However, there are no hard facts that prove this hypothesis but it could help.
At the end of the day, if you follow a diet that is balanced in terms of all your macronutrients and your micro nutrients along with some form of activity on a daily basis you’re bound to lead a healthy life. Meat based diets are not bad, don’t be mistaken. As long as you keep a balance on everything, you will be at your best.
