Health Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet
There are many other reasons people choose to go vegan, including the ethical treatment of animals, the environmental impact of meat-eating, and the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Vegans tend to eat lots of fruit and vegetables, while their meat-eating counterparts consume much larger quantities of processed foods. This means that vegans typically have fewer dietary deficiencies because they eat more whole foods that contain all essential nutrients. Some health benefits of a plant-based diet are:
- Reduced Risk Of Heart Disease
It is no secret that Americans are struggling with their weight. Obesity rates have more than doubled in the past 30 years, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over one-third of American adults are obese. Vegan’s are typically thinner and have less body fat than meat-eaters, and they tend to have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses. Studies have shown that people who eat a vegan diet have an average BMI 1.5 units lower than their meat-eating counterparts, leading to reductions in heart disease risk factors like obesity, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, etc.
- Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s way of responding to injuries, infections, irritants, or any other problem. When your immune system detects something harmful in the body, it sends out inflammatory chemicals like interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to help fix the problem. This can be helpful when your body needs to heal from an injury, but it’s harmful if left unchecked and is associated with heart disease and diabetes. A plant-based diet can reduce inflammation because it reduces the amount of saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and trans fats in your diet.
