You are what you eat, and what you eat affects your overall wellness. Although we are all different and will have different dietary needs, a plant-based diet has been shown to have the best benefits for optimal health. Here are some:
(1) Plant-based diets (vegetarian and vegan) may have preventative qualities when it comes to some diseases, and these diets are appropriate throughout all stages of life (from infancy to adulthood; for pregnant and lactating women and athletic adults). [a]
(2) Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products. [b]
(3) Healthful plant-based diets lowers the risk of total strokes. [c]
(4) An overall plant-based diet can lower the risk of cancer. [d]
But recently, there was an international study that looked at diet and COVID-19 (Sars-Cov2) severity. The study looked at 2884 healthcare workers (95% Physicians) from six countries who were substantially exposed to COVID-19 patients. The countries were France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and The United States, and participants were surveyed from 17 July – 25 Sept 2020, before any vaccines were available. It was found that those on plant-based or pescatarian diets (diets including only fish as the meat source) were associated with lower odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 when exposed. It was ultimately concluded that these diets may protect against severe COVID-19 complications. The article is available for free, so access it at https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/4/1/257. [e]
There has never been a better time to make the change to a plant-based diet. If you are looking for a dietician to help you with meal-planning, go to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Find-a-Nutrition-Expert, but if you are looking for a health coach to help guide you once you have your meal plans, contact me today.
References:
- [a], [b] — Melina, V., Craig, W., & Levin, S. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(12), 1970–1980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.025. [Also available at https://www.eatrightpro.org/-/media/eatrightpro-files/practice/position-and-practice-papers/position-papers/vegetarian-diet.pdf]
- [c] — Baden, M. Y., Shan, Z., Wang, F., et al. (2021). Quality of Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Total, Ischemic, and Hemorrhagic Stroke. Neurology, 96(15), e1940-e1953; https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000011713. [Also available at https://n.neurology.org/content/96/15/e1940].
- [d] — Alexander, H. (2019). 5 Benefits of A Plant-Based Diet. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/5-benefits-of-a-plant-based-diet.h20-1592991.html.
- [e] — Kim, H., Rebholz C.M., Hegde S., et al. (2021). Plant-based Diets,Pescatarian Diets and COVID-19 Severity: A Population-Based Case–Control Study in Six Countries. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000272.