Have you flirted with plant-based eating, adopting a vegetarian, perhaps a vegan lifestyle? Doing so could have impressive benefits for your overall wellbeing.
Scientists continue to debate whether human beings evolved to eat meat or whether they’re better off without it. However, the preponderance of scientific evidence suggests that reducing your carnivore-like consumption brings decided perks. Here are six health benefits of plant-based eating.
The Power of Plant-Based Eating
1. It Can Protect Your Heart
Meat is high in saturated fat. This stuff can clog your arteries, increase your LDL or bad cholesterol and contribute to plaque buildup.
Heart disease remains the number one killer of men and women in the U.S. and worldwide. It makes sense to protect this vital organ — and restricting blood flow through clogged arteries puts you at risk of heart attack or stroke.
Conversely, plant-based diets often contain higher levels of good fats that reduce your cardiovascular disease risk. For example, the omega-3 fatty acids in chia and flax seeds keep your blood vessels pliable, expanding and contracting with flow needs. Many plant-based foods also contain high levels of vitamin E, another nutrient critical for maintaining venous health.
2. It Decreases Your Colorectal Cancer Risk
According to the World Health Organization, processed meat qualifies as a carcinogen — it substantially increases your risk of colorectal cancer. The WHO also considers red meat a likely culprit lurking behind this disease.
Conversely, plant-based foods contain oodles of fiber for nourishing your gut microbiome. What’s that? It’s the series of beneficial bacteria that share your body with you. However, they don’t only process food — they send signals up your vagus nerve like little messengers, telling other organs what to do. If they go out of whack, you can experience gastrointestinal symptoms and nasty side effects like brain fog and mood changes.
This fibre also draws water to your colon, helping “the go.” When your body expels waste more efficiently, you feel better — and clear toxins away before they can invade your cells and cause trouble.
3. It Can Help You Manage Your Weight
Obesity is an ever-growing health risk in the U.S., with well over a third of Americans falling into this weight category. Those excess pounds increase the risk of nearly every health problem, from arthritis to heart disease.
However, one study found that despite the rise in obesity, less than 6% of vegetarians fall into this category. Why the discrepancy? Many plant-based foods are far lower in calories and fat than their meaty counterparts.
Furthermore, vegetarianism or intentionally reducing meat consumption helps naturally teach us some healthy discipline with food. You aren’t merely trying to shed excess pounds for a few months — you’re embarking on a lifestyle change and instituting a new set of values and behaviors that reflect your empathy and compassion for your fellow creatures and the planet.
Therefore, you have an extra dose of motivation to stand strong when brunch time bacon calls your name like a Sunday siren song. Your health will thank you for choosing that fruit cup and you’ll feel better knowing you didn’t harm any pigs to enjoy your leisurely meal.
4. It Helps You Get More Antioxidants
What are antioxidants? These plant-based substances contribute their spare electrons to damaging free radicals, preventing them from harming your body’s cells. Scientists still don’t fully understand all their functions, although they know what some, like vitamins A and C, do.
However, you won’t find antioxidants in meat. Your best bet to ensure sufficient intake is to eat the rainbow every day. The various hues in plants correspond to different antioxidant profiles, and mixing up a colourful salad plate helps you get enough of what you need.
5. It Can Safeguard Brain Function
Your brain operates as your master control center. If something goes awry with this organ, you can expect problems elsewhere. A plant-based diet rich in whole foods can help you stave off trouble.
For example, nuts and seeds are rich sources of minerals like magnesium, selenium and zinc, which fight oxidative stress in your brain. They also mitigate symptoms of depression and anxiety, mental disorders that can nevertheless wreak a physical toll. For example, anxiety and heart disease can contribute to one another.
6. It Reduces Your Carbon Footprint
This benefit may not seem to directly impact your health, but consider this: the WHO estimates that 4.2 million people die every year from polluted air. Protecting the planet is a collective health issue.
Meat production accounts for nearly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing your consumption might not seem like it has much of an impact, but the collective effort could mitigate climate change.
Health Benefits of Plant-Based Eating
You probably know that you should get more fruits and vegetables in your diet. However, did you understand all the perks of a plant-based diet?
Consider modifying your meal plan to include more vegan and vegetarian dishes. You’ll reap the health benefits of plant-based eating and enjoy greater well-being.
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