What makes a plant-based diet? a review of current concepts and proposal for a standardized plant-based dietary intervention checklist European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

What makes a plant-based diet? a review of current concepts and proposal for a standardized plant-based dietary intervention checklist European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

If followed properly, a whole foods, plant-based diet limits the use of oils, added sugars and processed foods, leaving only whole foods to provide nutrition. This maximizes nutrient intake and virtually eliminates foods that can lead to poor health outcomes. Evidence suggests that adopting a plant-based diet may have both environmental benefits and human health benefits; however, most ASN Journal authors have called for more research to fill critical knowledge gaps. We need to learn more not only about the impact of plant-based diets on human health, but also how we can motivate more consumers to move towards a plant-based diet. One study found no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels between vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Factors such as vitamin D supplementation, degree of skin pigmentation, and amount of sun exposure had a greater influence on serum 25(OH)D levels than did diet [300].

Research suggests plant-based diets could replace the traditional diet within 100 years

The exception is India, where 20% or more of adults are vegetarian [2,3]. In the United States, a nationwide poll in 2020 found that approximately 6% of adults followed a vegetarian diet, with half of them being vegans [4]. A similar U.S. poll found that approximately 2% of 8- to 17-year-old children followed a vegan diet, and 3% followed a non-vegan vegetarian diet [5].

Nutrients of Concern in a Plant-Based Diet

The higher up the food chain you went to get your nutrients, the more resources you’d have to consume. Hunting is a riskier proposition than harvesting, which means that the return on effort is often lower. Many common foods and beverages contain yeast, including bread, beer and wine, vinegar, and fermented foods.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: Key Points [acc.org]

plant based traditional diet

If you’ve ever felt like it was impossible to stop eating these types of foods, there’s a good reason for that. Just because a product is plant-based doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy. To avoid biting off more than you can chew, Murray shares these easy ways to start eating more plant-based options. If you’ve ever felt sluggish or sleepy after eating a heavy meal, inflammation may be to blame. Every plant-based diet beginner should consider adding these foods to their grocery list, according to Wagner and Zerner. Plant-based diets are generally beneficial, but consider these potential risks and caveats before diving in.

Vegan and Vegetarian Cuisines

Globally, the market for alternatives to dairy products is expected to reach $US 25 billion by 2026 [6]. Many people choose flexible diet patterns that fall somewhere in between these classifications. For example, some vegetarians may eat very few dairy products; some pescatarians may eat no other animal products, such as dairy products; and some semi-vegetarians are almost entirely vegetarian except when they dine out.

What started in Berlin a decade ago is now spreading across many German cities. German food festivals devoted to plant-based cuisine, such as the Vegan Street Day in Stuttgart and Dortmund. Even Christkindlmarkets are going vegan, or at least offer vegan options.

How to Go Vegan

  • Chronic diseases are increasing in global prevalence and a leading cause of mortality in the world [1, 2].
  • The production of plant-based products is more efficient regardless of whether the comparison is made by weight of product, per serving, per calories, or even protein content [14,15,17,18].
  • Misir Wat (also spelled misir wot) is a plant-based Ethiopian stew filled with lentils, vegetables, and layers of fragrant spices that will wrap you in comfort and warmth.
  • Iodine deficiency can lead to the thyroid getting bigger as it tries to meet the body’s need for thyroid hormones.
  • Its other roles include reduction of inflammation and modulation of neuromuscular and immune function [298].
  • Finally, one must pose the question whether it is justified to call a diet “plant-based” when it contains fish and chicken (at least) twice per week (as it was the case in Yamashita et al.) [34].

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today’s Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state. The lack of a clear definition of the term ‘plant-based diet’ and its inconsistent usage may cause significant ambiguity among researchers and the public. The term ‘plant-based diet’ may therefore only be useful in the context of a clear definition and a thorough description of the applied dietary pattern.

plant based traditional diet

The Economics of Plant-Based Eating

Vegans who do not use iodized salt and/or sea vegetables may have low iodine intakes and may be at risk for iodine deficiency [287,288]. Older adults generally have decreased energy requirements, although nutrient requirements are often similar to, or higher than, those of younger adults. The selection of nutrient-dense diets is especially important for older adults.

Related MedlinePlus Health Topics

By definition, vegans eat an entirely plant-based diet, consuming no animal products in any form. Vegetarians don’t eat meat, and to varying degrees, other animal products like eggs and cheese as well. ‘Flexitarians’ or ‘casual vegetarians’ find a happy compromise in eating mostly plant-based foods but allowing for the occasional meal containing animal proteins (meat, fish, fowl, dairy, eggs).

Plant-Based Eating: Healthy, sustainable diet patterns, from Mediterranean to vegan

Whether you just want to cut back on meat or avoid all animal products, there’s likely a plant-based diet for you. These diets vary in particulars, but the common theme is to eat mostly plant foods. The search revealed a total of 44 intervention studies that investigated the effects of a plant‐based diet (Table 1). Table 1 provides an overview of the study characteristics (in a reversed chronological order) and shows how the term reviews on unimeal “plant-based diet” was used in the respective studies. A whole-foods, plant-based diet celebrates plant foods and minimizes animal products and highly processed foods.

Remember: plant-based doesn’t always mean healthy

Typically, the mean dietary intake of vitamin B12 of vegans falls well below the DRI, while that of lacto-ovo-vegetarians may be marginal, depending on the use of dairy products [246,290,291]. Unfortified plant foods such as fermented soy foods, leafy vegetables, seaweeds, mushrooms, and algae (including spirulina) do not contain significant amounts of active vitamin B12 to provide daily needs [292]. Furthermore, a number of medications can impair the absorption or utilization of B12. Vitamin B12 appears to be a cofactor /unimeal-weight-loss-app-review-12-reasons-to-trust/ involved in the production of nitric oxide [293], which would have important implications for vascular and immune health. Recommendations for calcium, vitamin B6, and vitamin D are higher for older adults [215,216]. Higher protein foods such as soy products (including tofu, soy beverage, soy yogurt alternative, etc.), legumes, nuts and seeds, and meat analogs should be used two to three times a day by older vegetarians.