With the need to lead healthier lives & a deep-rooted desire to reduce the environmental damage of their food choices, more & more people are undergoing this dietary transition.
By Avnish Chhabria,
The plant-based foods sector has received a lot of momentum over the last few years, with a massive number of people turning towards a healthier & more wholesome plant-based diet. This transition reflects a massive change in the food & supplements market, with the demand not only coming in from vegetarians but also from meat-eaters. With the need to lead healthier lives & a deep-rooted desire to reduce the environmental damage of their food choices, more & more people are undergoing this dietary transition.
So What is a Plant-Based Diet & What All Does It Include?
Plant-based diets not only include fruits & vegetables but also a variety of other products like seeds, nuts, oils, whole grains, legumes & beans. It emphasizes on consuming unprocessed & organic whole foods, rather than processed, sugary foods, laden with preservatives, saturated fats, & refined carbohydrates. While making the transition to a plant-based diet, it would be advisable to do it in phases as too drastic a change could be overwhelming.
Plant-based diets are nutrient dense providing plant protein, polyunsaturated fats, vitamins & minerals, antioxidants, dietary fiber & phytonutrients that are necessary for optimal health.
How Does Plant-Based Diet Benefit Health?
Consuming a diet rich in plant foods & devoid of animal products comes with multiple health benefits. There’s ample research available that has examined & concluded that plant-based diets are rich in vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants that play a pivotal role in:
Improving GUT health
A plant-based diet is great for GUT health as it brings diversity to your gut bacteria, aids digestion, and enhances nutrient absorption. As per research, it helps decrease the bad gut bacteria due to the high content of prebiotics/dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytochemicals & vegetable proteins. The high dietary fiber content in plant-based foods also regulates bowel movements. A sound gut health ensures a healthy immune system, keeping all kinds of infections & diseases at bay.
Reduce Inflammation
Research shows that a plant-based diet is rich in Omega-3, phytochemicals & antioxidants, that helps reduce the effects of free radicals & reduces oxidative stress. It also helps improve immune function & lower chronic inflammation levels that can help prevent arthritis, cardiovascular disease & cancers.
Maintaining Hormonal Balance
Stress, faulty diet & poor sleep play a major role in hormonal imbalance. Animal foods are high in saturated fats, preservatives & low in fiber, increasing cortisol levels (stress hormone). Plant based foods are high in phytoestrogen, regulating levels of estrogen, reducing PMS & might prevent hormone-associated cancers. Indole-3-carbinol a substance present in cruciferious vegetables, help reduce a high estrogen level, symptoms of PMS, menopause & can regulate the hormones. .
Improving metabolism & weight management
A whole foods plant-based diet is rich in dietary fiber that enhances satiety without adding extra calories. This means that you won’t resort to binge eating & cravings, reducing the possibility of weight gain. A plant-based diet combined with a regular exercise regime will slowly but steadily improve one’s metabolism, which will increase the body’s ability to burn excess fat & weight.
Lowers Stress & Improves Quality of Sleep
Eating inadequate fiber, more saturated fat & sugar is associated with less restorative & more disrupted sleep. Plant protein sources such as soy, oats, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, peas etc. are rich in isoflavones (phytonutrients) & tryptophan (a precursor to the happy hormones like serotonin & melatonin). Eating a whole food plant-based diet helps with weight management, supports serotonin & melatonin production, potentially enhancing sleep quality & duration.
Reducing the risk of chronic diseases
Animal foods like red meat, cheese, butter, and the like, are high in saturated fats & cholesterol, causing plaque formation in the arteries, leading to atherosclerosis & other coronary heart ailments. Whole food plant-based diets play a vital role in controlling total cholesterol & blood pressure levels owing to its rich content of dietary fiber, zero dietary cholesterol & low saturated fats. Plant-based food has a low glycemic index, packed with antioxidants & phytochemicals that aids insulin sensitivity & reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Diet rich in nuts, seeds, legumes, daily greens & whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, which is an essential nutrient linked with a lower risk of diabetes.
Plant-based diets also contribute to better cognitive health, mood, energy levels, & focus.
However, irrespective of how well-rounded & nutritious one’s plant-based diet may be, one may still fall a tad bit flat on meeting their recommended daily allowances. Opt for supplements that use whole-food plant based ingredients combined with science to create powerful blends of vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants- all essential for maintaining optimum health. Daily probiotics + prebiotics, Melts into restful sleep, Nutrition Melts (natural vitamin D melts and vegan vitamin B12 melts) & effervescent tabs will help as they provide better bioavailability and absorption than regular tablets & capsules.
(The author Founder, Wellbeing Nutrition. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)
