With mounting health concerns over dietary issues, many people have come to believe that changing to a plant-based diet — focusing solely or mostly on grains, fruits and vegetables — is a healthier choice than consuming a diet containing a high percentage of animal products. However, there are concerns when changing to a plant-based diet.
When starting a plant-based diet it is important to consider what nutrients each plant is capable of providing, with a major concern being protein. Plants in themselves provide incomplete proteins, meaning no single plant provides all the needed amino acids humans need for the body to synthesis new protein cells. Consequently, when beginning a vegetarian based diet, it is important to learn which plants, chiefly nuts, legumes and seeds, must be eaten together to provide the body the necessary amino acid balance.
Plant-based diets should consist mainly of whole grains, such as wheat and rice, and balanced out with fresh fruits and vegetables. A strictly vegetarian diet, called “vegan,†includes only plant matter, to the exclusion of all animal matter, including dairy.
Contrary to common belief, people who consume a strictly plant-based diet are not healthier than those who eat a more varied diet which includes dairy and meat. Aside from the protein considerations, there is no plant-based source of Vitamin B12, which humans require for health.
However, lacto-ovo vegetarians can obtain B12 from dairy products and eggs, and vegans can obtain it from fortified foods (including some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and dietary supplements.
Claims that a plant based diet will cure disease, including cancer, are overstated. A diet based in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables is rich in immune system bolstering antioxidants and phytochemicals, but there is no clinical evidence that a plant-based diet “ALONE” will cure disease. However, plant-based diets do reduce the amount of saturated fat, which is one of the dietary components shown to cause disease.
Around the world, one of the most popular diets is the Mediterranean diet. While still heavily weighted with daily vegetable sources, including healthy fats such as olive oil, the Mediterranean diet also includes weekly serving of fish, poultry and eggs along with a few monthly servings of red meat.
Overall, the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets; it focuses on the life-giving and healing powers of a strictly plant-based diet with the added benefits of complete proteins and Vitamin B12 sources found only in animal matter. Additionally, the Mediterranean diet does not contain the unhealthy fats so prevalent in western diets.
