A plant-based diet has been recommended by many health professionals because there is mounting evidence to show that it is an excellent, non-invasive tool to prevent, treat and even reverse some of our most common and debilating chronic diseases today in the Western world. The power of plants in healing our body is quite incredible. There are several health benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, but today we will look at just a few of the key benefits (to keep it short and readable!).
Improves Heart Health
Plant-based diets are naturally low in the unhealthy saturated fats that’s commonly found in animal products, leading to a better functioning heart. Saturated fats are bad for our heart health as these unhealthy fats contribute to plaque formation in our artery walls, increasing the risk for blockages (strokes and heart attacks). Cholesterol is found exclusively in animal products (yes, even leaner cuts of meat!) whereas there is no cholesterol found in plant foods. Even though dietary cholesterol contributes less to plaque formation than saturated fats do, it still plays a significant role in this disease (1).
A study from The American Heart Association found that eating more plants and less animal products resulted in a 16% decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and 31% decreased risk of dying from it (2). Focusing on healthy whole plants are important though, rather than refined junk foods. Aim to eat from the following food groups daily: Fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes (inlcuding nuts and seeds). This is important as unhealthy plant-based diets can also increase our risk. For example, a study conducted by The Journal of American College of Cardiology examined 209,000 adults over 2 decades (3). They were grouped into 3- One ate a healthy plant-based diet while reducing the intake of animal products, the second ate a healthy plant-based diet while reducing the intake of less healthy plant foods and animal products, and the third group ate only the less healthy plant-based foods while decreasing the intake of animal products. Of course, the second group who ate healthy plant foods had the lowest risk of developing heart disease and were more active and leaner than the other groups. Some promising (but small) studies even suggest that a strict whole food plant-based diet can reverse plaques in the artery wall! (4).
Prevents/Treats/Reverses Type 2 Diabetes
Plant-based diets can help prevent, treat and even reverse type 2 diabetes. How is this so? Well in order to understand how this condition can be reversed, it is important to know what causes type 2 diabetes. The majority of people I would ask this question to would say it was sugars, when in fact, it is fat! Fat causes type 2 diabetes because when someone consumes a diet rich in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol, this can build up within the cells. When there is fat built up withing the cells, these can resist the action of insulin (a hormone in carbohydrate metabolism) resulting the sugars remaining in the bloodstream. Of course, including sugary, refined foods will cause sugars to shoot up, so best for those with type 2 diabetes to choose foods that absorb slower. These are known as low GI foods. Remove the bad fats and you eliminate the fat build-up within the cells. If the pancreas is not too damaged at this point and can still produce insulin, this condition may be completely reversible, because the insulin can then take the sugars from the blood stream and send it where it is needed for energy (5).
Helps You Lose Weight
Plant-based diets are naturally high in fibre and low in fat which allows us to fill up on healthy, nutrient-rich foods without overeating. Fibre fills us up and contributes zero calories but a whole lot of health benefits including a healthy and diverse gut microbiome and well-finctioning digestive system. This is vital for overall health and well-being and these little bacteria that live in our gut can promote disease or promote health, depending on what we feed them (i.e- what we eat). They can also switch genes on and off, with healthy plants allowing the good bugs to switch on health promoting genes and switch off disease-promoting genes (6).
Plant-Based Diets May Prevent Cancer
Plant-based diets have been shown to be protective against a variety of cancers but the most studied include breast, prostate, colorectal and gastrointestinal cancers. Dairy and eggs stimulate the production of IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor) which is critical for cell growth, but too much in the blood can increase the risk for cancer cell growth. After 11 days of cutting animal products, one study found that circulating IGF-1 reduced by 20% and the levels of cancer protective IGF-1 protein increased by 50% (7).
Cooked meats results in hetrocyclic amines from cooking meat at high temperatures (roasting, pan frying, grilling and baking). The chemicals occur when muscle in meat such as beef, pork, fish and poultry is cooked using high temperatures. High intakes of meat increases the risk for breast, colorectal and gastrointestinal cancers. One study found that women who ate their meat well done had a 5-fold increase for developing cancer (7). Another important point to note is that many studies have shown soy consumption to be protective against cancer development (particularly breast cancer) and the survival rate for cancer survivors was 90% compared to 50% in those that did not consume much soy (7).
These health benefits are just the tip of the ice-berg, plant-based nutrition can help with a variety of issues including but not limited to skin health, improved athletic performance, improved energy, reduced headaches, skin conditions such as psoriasis and skin rashes, reducing blood pressure and cholesterol, the list goes on! We will have to do these on another day though 🙂
Chakula cha mimea kimependekezwa na wataalamu wengi wa afya kwa sababu kuna ushahidi unaozidi kuongezeka kuonyesha kuwa ni chombo bora, kisicho cha uvamizi kuzuia, kutibu na hata kugeuza baadhi ya magonjwa yetu ya kawaida na ya kudumu leo katika ulimwengu wa Magharibi. Nguvu za mimea katika kuponya mwili wetu ni za ajabu sana. Kuna faida kadhaa za kiafya za kutumia chakula cha mimea, lakini leo tutaangalia faida chache tu (ili iwe fupi na rahisi kusoma!). Inaboresha Afya ya Moyo Chakula cha mimea ni asili ya chini katika mafuta yasiyo na afya ambayo ni kawaida kupatikana katika bidhaa za wanyama, na kusababisha moyo bora kazi. Mafuta yenye unene ni hatari kwa afya ya moyo, kwani huchangia kuunda plaque kwenye kuta za mishipa, na kuongeza hatari ya kufungwa kwa mishipa. Cholesterol hupatikana tu katika bidhaa za wanyama (ndiyo, hata vipande vidogo vya nyama!) Kwa upande mwingine, hakuna cholesterol katika vyakula vya mimea. Ingawa cholesterol ya chakula huchangia kidogo katika kuunda plaque kuliko mafuta yaliyojaa, bado ina jukumu muhimu katika ugonjwa huu (1). Utafiti uliofanywa na Shirika la Moyo la Marekani uligundua kuwa kula mimea zaidi na bidhaa chache za wanyama ilisababisha kupunguza hatari ya ugonjwa wa moyo kwa asilimia 16 na kupunguza hatari ya kufa kwa asilimia 31 kwa sababu ya ugonjwa huo. Hata hivyo, ni muhimu kuzingatia mimea nzima yenye afya, badala ya vyakula visivyo na lishe. Lengo la kula kutoka kwa makundi ya chakula yafuatayo kila siku: Matunda, mboga, nafaka kamili na mboga (ikiwa ni pamoja na karanga na mbegu). Hii ni muhimu kwa sababu lishe isiyo na afya ya mimea pia inaweza kuongeza hatari yetu. Kwa mfano, utafiti uliofanywa na jarida la The Journal of the American College of Cardiology ulichunguza watu wazima 209, 000 kwa zaidi ya miongo miwili. Wanachama wa kikundi cha tatu walipangwa katika makundi matatu: kikundi cha kwanza kilikuwa na chakula cha mimea na kupunguza ulaji wa bidhaa za wanyama, kikundi cha pili kilikuwa na chakula cha mimea na kupunguza ulaji wa bidhaa za mimea na bidhaa za wanyama, na kikundi cha tatu kilikuwa na chakula cha mimea na kupunguza ulaji wa bidhaa za wanyama. Kikundi cha pili kilichokula vyakula vyenye afya kilikuwa na hatari ya chini ya kupata ugonjwa wa moyo na walikuwa na shughuli nyingi na walikuwa wanene kuliko vikundi vingine. Uchunguzi fulani wenye kuahidi (lakini mdogo) hata unaonyesha kwamba kula chakula kikamilifu cha mimea kwa bidii kunaweza kuondoa mabaki katika ukuta wa mshipa! (4) Inazuia, Inatibu, na Inageuza ugonjwa wa kisukari wa Aina ya 2 Jambo hilo linawezekanaje? Ili kuelewa jinsi ugonjwa huu unavyoweza kubadilika, ni muhimu kujua ni nini kinachosababisha ugonjwa wa kisukari wa aina ya 2. Wengi wa watu ningewauliza swali hili wangesema ni sukari, wakati kwa kweli, ni mafuta! Mafuta husababisha ugonjwa wa kisukari wa aina ya 2 kwa sababu wakati mtu anakula chakula chenye mafuta mengi, trans na cholesterol, hii inaweza kujilimbikiza ndani ya seli. Wakati kuna mafuta yaliyojengwa ndani ya seli, zinaweza kupinga hatua ya insulini (hormoni katika kimetaboliki ya wanga) na kusababisha sukari iliyobaki katika mtiririko wa damu. Kwa kweli, vyakula vyenye sukari na vyakula vilivyotengenezwa kwa njia ya kusafisha vinaweza kusababisha sukari kuongezeka, kwa hiyo ni bora kwa wale walio na ugonjwa wa kisukari wa aina ya 2 kuchagua vyakula vinavyopatikana polepole. Vyakula hivyo vinajulikana kama vyakula vyenye kiwango cha chini cha GI. Kuondoa mafuta mabaya na kuondoa mafuta kujikusanya ndani ya seli. Kama kongosho haijaharibiwa sana katika hatua hii na bado inaweza kuzalisha insulini, hali hii inaweza kuwa reversible kabisa, kwa sababu insulini inaweza kuchukua sukari kutoka mtiririko wa damu na kuipeleka mahali inahitajika kwa ajili ya nishati. Chakula cha mimea ni asili ya juu katika nyuzi na chini katika mafuta ambayo inaruhusu sisi kujaza juu ya afya, virutubisho-tajiri ya chakula bila overeating. Fiber inatujaza na inatoa kalori sifuri lakini faida nyingi za afya ikiwa ni pamoja na microbiome ya matumbo yenye afya na tofauti na mfumo wa kumeng'enya vizuri. Hii ni muhimu kwa afya ya jumla na ustawi na bakteria hizi ndogo ambazo zinaishi katika matumbo yetu zinaweza kukuza ugonjwa au kukuza afya, kulingana na kile tunachowalisha (yaani, kile tunachokula). Mimea yenye afya huwezesha wadudu wenye afya kuamsha na kuzima jeni zinazosababisha magonjwa. Chakula cha mimea kinaweza kuzuia saratani Chakula cha mimea kinaweza kuzuia saratani nyingi lakini zaidi ya yote ni saratani ya kifua, prostate, colon na gastrointestinal. Maziwa na mayai huchochea uzalishaji wa IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor) ambayo ni muhimu kwa ukuaji wa seli, lakini kiasi kikubwa cha damu inaweza kuongeza hatari ya ukuaji wa seli za kansa. Baada ya siku 11 za kuondoa bidhaa za wanyama, utafiti mmoja uligundua kuwa IGF-1 iliyokuwa ikizunguka ilipungua kwa 20% na viwango vya protini ya IGF-1 ya kinga ya saratani viliongezeka kwa 50% (7). Nyama zilizopikwa hutokeza amini za hetrocyclic kutoka kwa kupika nyama kwa joto la juu (kuoka, kuoka, kuchoma na kuoka). Kemikali hizo hutokea wakati misuli ya nyama kama vile nyama ya ng'ombe, nguruwe, samaki na kuku inapopikwa kwa kutumia joto la juu. Kula nyama nyingi huongeza hatari ya kansa ya matiti, colon, na ya tumbo. Utafiti mmoja uligundua kuwa wanawake ambao walikula nyama yao iliyokaangwa vizuri walikuwa na uwezekano wa mara tano wa kupata saratani. Utafiti unaonyesha kuwa matumizi ya soya huhifadhi dhidi ya saratani, na kiwango cha kuishi kwa watu waliookoka saratani ilikuwa 90% ikilinganishwa na 50% kwa wale ambao hawakula soya nyingi. Kwa sababu ya faida za afya, lishe ya mimea inaweza kusaidia katika masuala mbalimbali, ikiwa ni pamoja na afya ya ngozi, kuboresha utendaji wa michezo, kuboresha nishati, kupunguza maumivu ya kichwa, hali za ngozi kama psoriasis na ngozi, kupunguza shinikizo la damu na cholesterol, na orodha inaendelea! Tutahitaji kufanya haya siku nyingine ingawa 🙂