Plant-based Foods: A Key To Healthy You & Everything Around
We have all heard a lot about vegan or plant-based diets. With people becoming more health-conscious, plant-based diets are gaining more popularity.
Vegan or plant-based diets exclude all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. If followed diligently, a vegan diet can be highly nutritious and significantly reduce the chances of many chronic diseases and help in maintaining weight. Vegan diets have a high content of nutrients and are low in saturated fats. Studies have proven that this type of diet can improve heart health, protect against cancer, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Plant-based diets include fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Eating plant-based foods provides a wide range of essential vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and protein.
Vegan and vegetarian are often used synonymously, but the two are very different terms. Vegetarians do not eat meat but eat dairy products and eggs. People following a vegan diet, on the other hand, exclude all products which have animal-based ingredients.
Since a vegan diet is more restrictive, people following this type need to take care that they are receiving all the required nutrients.
Now, the question that we need to understand is why do people follow a vegan diet? The simple answer to this question is that a vegan diet can provide all the nutrients a person needs and eliminate the risks associated with animal-based diets.
A plant-based diet has been linked with a lot of health benefits like:
Good heart health
Studies have proven that higher consumption of plant-based foods and a lower intake of animal foods helps in reducing the risk of heart disease and death in adults.
Animal products are a source of saturated fats, which cholesterol levels, ultimately increasing the risk of heart problems. Plant-based foods, on the other hand, are rich in fibre and low in calories, which helps in reducing the risk of obesity.
Reduces the risk of cancer
Studies have shown that having a plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of cancer by up to 15% because a plant-based diet is rich in fibre, vitamins, and phytochemicals.
Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
It has been proven that following a plant-based diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes can help in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
