A new study presented at Nutrition 2018 examined the health impacts of a plant-based diet.
Here are the 4 benefits of a vegetarian diet:
1. Decrease Death Risk
An extensive study involving approximately 30,000 American adults linked better choices in the plant-based diet components to reduced mortality by 30 percent. The benefits are particularly evident in people with chronic health conditions. But experts noted that there is no evidence confirming that vegetarian diet could increase the lifespan of a person.
2. Decrease Weight Gain
A study revealed that a plant-based diet rich in high-quality foods such as nuts, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains were associated with less weight gain.
3. Reduce Diabetes Risk
Researchers from George Washington University examined health and dietary patterns of South Asians living in the United States. The result showed that vegetarians were found to have lower risk factors for diabetes.
“A shift to a dietary pattern higher in healthful plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and lower in animal-based foods, especially red and processed meats, can confer substantial health benefits in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes,” said Frank Hu, a Harvard nutrition and diabetes researcher.
4. Overall Better Heart Health
Scientists from the Netherlands analyzed almost 6,000 people and found those who are eating plant protein had a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to those who are consuming meat protein. Moreover, a research involving 4,500 Brazilian adults found that people who consumed plant protein were 60 percent less likely to have plaque build-up in their arteries.