A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. It doesn’t mean that you are vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy. Rather, you are proportionately choosing more of your foods from plant sources.
Eating more plant-based foods could do a world of good for our health and the health of the planet. Eating plant-based does not always mean having to adopt a completely meat-free diet, it is, in fact, the quality of the plant-based diet that is the most important factor to consider. Not all plant-source foods have beneficial heart health effects. A good quality plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes, which in itself is a risk factor for heart disease.
A very interesting study demonstrated that people who ate more whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, coffee, & tea showed a much lower risk for CVD, while those who ate more unhealthy plant-based foods, like sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, & sweets, did not.
Healthy plant-based diets can be customised to fit individual needs and cultural preferences. A small reduction of animal-based products – particularly processed meats – can significantly help improve cardiovascular health.
For more information visit www.heartfoundation.co.za
