A diet that is primarily or entirely made up of plantbased foods is known as a plant-based diet. Any diet that prioritizes foods derived from plants is considered to be plant-based. A wide variety of dietary patterns known as “plant-based diets” are characterized by a low intake of animal products and a high intake of plant products like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Contrary to popular belief, vegan and plant-based are two different concepts. A plant-based diet predominantly consists of plants; most people use the term to refer to a 100 percent plant diet, but some people include small amounts of animal products.
A vegan diet, on the other hand, eliminates all animal products. A diet based on plants is thought to be nutrient-rich and full of fiber, good fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It can satisfy all of your nutrient needs and is a very healthy way to eat.
When followed consistently, a well-balanced, plant-based diet that prioritizes whole grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds may be beneficial to your health. Besides, it is important not to equate protein with meat. There are many nutrient-dense plant-based
protein sources, including tofu, lentils, beans, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and quinoa.
However, it is worth noting that not all plant-based foods are equally wholesome. Instead, plant-based diets that feature whole grains as the primary source of carbohydrate,
unsaturated fats as the primary source of dietary fat, a bounty of fruits and vegetables,
and enough Omega-3 fatty acids can be regarded as healthy.
Technically speaking, since they are vegetarian, products like refined sugar, white flour, and
some vegetable fats can all be referred to as “plantbased,” but this does not imply that they should constitute a balanced diet. A well-balanced, plant-based diet has many advantages.
First of all, a plant-based diet supports your immune system. Essential nutrients found in
plants are unavailable in other foods. The ability of your immune system to identify and combat cellular mutations before they cause disease makes it crucial for lowering your risk of developing cancer.
Plants are a good source of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants that help keep your body balanced and your cells healthy so that your immune system can work at its peak. A plant-based diet strengthens your immune system and protect you against germs and microorganisms.
Plant foods reduce inflammation. Plants’ essential nutrients work to resolve inflammation in your body. Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants.
Inflammation is a process by which your body’s white blood cells protect you from infection from outside invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. The function of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out necrotic cells and tissues damaged from the original insult and the inflammatory process, and initiate tissue repair.
The same tiny phytochemicals and antioxidants that boost your immune system also help your body neutralize toxins from pollution, processed food, bacteria and viruses Prolonged inflammation can damage your body’s cells and tissue and has been linked to cancer and other inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
You might be protected by a plant-based diet because it eliminates some of the risk factors for these illnesses. A plant-based diet helps maintain a healthy weight. Staying at a healthy weight is one of the most important things to reduce risk for cancer.
This is because excess weight causes inflammation and hormonal imbalance. Being overweight or obese increases the risk for 12 different types of cancer including colorectal,
post-menopausal breast, esophageal, uterine, kidney and pancreatic cancers. By consuming mostly plants, many of the foods that cause weight gain can be removed from the diet.
Plants contain a lot of fiber. All unprocessed plant foods contain fiber. It is what gives the plant its structure and consuming more of it has a lot of health benefits. In order to better absorb the nutrients from food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation, eating a plant-based diet helps your gut health.
Fiber can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar and it is excellent for good bowel management. Fiber is very important for reducing cancer risk, especially for the third most
common cancer: colorectal cancer. According to a recent study, plant-based diet can cut colorectal cancer risk in men by 22%.
A plant-based diet reduces your risk for other diseases too. The benefits of eating mostly plants are not limited to reducing your cancer risk. A plant-based diet has also been
demonstrated to decrease risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some mental health illnesses.
References:
https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/what-plantbased-diet-and-it-healthy
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-022-02623-7
https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/5-benefits-of-a-plant-baseddiet.
h20-1592991.html#:~:text=Eating%20a%20plant%2Dbased%20diet,great%20for%20good%20
bowel%20management.
Prepared by: Murat Soygür
