5 Big Benefits Of Plant Based Diets

A plant-based diet means eating more whole foods and plants-fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds. It doesn’t necessarily mean plants only. For some people, a plant-based diet does exclude all animal products. For others, it’s just about proportion choosing more of your foods from plant sources than from animal sources. The idea of eating plant-based sounds healthy. Plant-based is also a buzzword we’re seeing more and more. One of the best parts about eating a plant-based diet is that you can define your strictness. It’s a nice way to make plants a main part of your diet without needing to completely eliminate dairy, eggs, meat and fish.

But what makes plant-based diet so beneficial? Here are five benefits:

1. Healthier hearts Eating a vegetarian diet may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and may improve other risk factors for heart disease by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol and improving your blood sugar control. Eating plant-based can also help quell inflammation, which raises your risk of heart disease by promoting plaque buildup in your arteries.

2. It supports your immune system
Plants have essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. The vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants in plants help keep your cells healthy and your body in balance so that your immune system can function at its best. A plant-based diet strengthens your immune system to protect you against germs and microorganisms. A healthy immune system is essential for reducing your risk for cancer because it can recognize and attack mutations in cells before they can progress to disease.

3. Lower diabetes risk
Regardless of your BMI, eating a vegetarian diet or a vegan diet lowers your risk of diabetes. Studies have shown that people who eat a plant-based diet have higher insulin sensitivity, which is important for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

4. Better nutrition
Plants are healthy, you know this, and most of us don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and veggies, so making the majority of your diet plant-based will up your produce, which is a nutritious choice. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fiber is a nutrient that most of us don’t get enough of, and it has tons of healthy perks. It’s good for your waistline, heart, gut and blood sugar. However, science shows that people’s overall nutrition is usually better when they follow a vegetarian or vegan diet versus when they eat an omnivorous diet.

5. Plant foods reduce inflammation
Plants’ essential nutrients work to resolve inflammation in your body. The same tiny phytochemicals and antioxidants that boost your immune system also go around your body neutralizing toxins from pollution, processed food, bacteria, viruses and more. To reduce inflammation, it’s important to eat plant-based and to listen to your body’s signals for how foods work for you. Prolonged inflammation can damage your body’s cells and tissue and has been linked to cancer and other inflammatory diseases like arthritis. A plant-based diet may protect you because it removes some of the triggers to these diseases.