Plant-based diet and its benefits

Abhishek Sharma

Whenever two opinions/ideologies clash, the world has always been divided into two groups; both advocate their beliefs in the world. Similarly, there has always been a series of arguments between vegetarians and non-vegetarians. These two groups always argue to settle on the best diet and how one can fulfill the protein needs daily. Amid this prolonged debate of centuries, many diets like Keto, Paleo, and Atkins came to address different problems in the world. However, now another effective regular diet on the market seems to overshadow all others with its simplicity and results – a plant-based/vegan diet.

The changing trends…
With the growing environmental and health concerns, the world is swiftly witnessing a shift towards veganism. To explain in simpler words, veganism is related to the ‘plant-based’ diets – food that comes from plants – fruits, vegetables, and grains. One does not consume anything animals produce in this diet – not even dairy products like milk and cheese.
Veganism is still a fresh concept in Indian households. Earlier viewed as a stricter form of vegetarianism, it has now seemed to carve its niche in people’s lives. Talking about the data, India has about five million vegans, and this number has interestingly escalated in the pandemic. As people started becoming more aware of their food choices, they realized that they were helping their health and the environment by opting for a vegan diet.

Benefits of plant-based diet/veganism
The benefit of being a vegan in India is that you can never encounter an issue about what to eat. India has various options like lentils, grains, vegetables, and fruits that are very handy when cooking multiple meals every day.
There is a quote by Buddha that has stayed in the world for a long time. Though it disappeared in the clouds of junk food and easy eating, people now accept and adopt it in their lives. He said, “To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise, we shall not be able to keep our minds strong and clear.”
The direct proportion of health is with the food we eat. Therefore, it is essential to understand what our body demands to stay healthy.
Research has shown many health benefits of opting for a plant-based diet in regular life. Be it weight loss, heart health, or prevention from various autoimmune diseases, a plant-based diet nicely covers everything.

Let us understand the health benefits that this diet has to offer in regular life:

Reduces inflammation
The human body encounters many external and internal viruses. To help your body fight these, white blood cells come into action. However, there are instances when the white blood cells fail to protect the body, resulting in inflammation. This generally happens in the case of any autoimmune disease, when your white cells give up, and your body goes into flight mode.
Plant-based foods are rich in antioxidants, enabling them to fight inflammation in the human body. So, if you consume a plant-based diet, you automatically help your body keep the autoimmune diseases at bay.

Lowers blood pressure
Having heavy food, a lot of oil, and meat disturbs the body’s blood pressure. With many lifestyle changes happening globally, the human body is more prone to problems like high blood pressure, which can stay with you for a lifetime. If you want to avoid such medical issues, it is better to opt for a plant-based diet, and it helps keep your blood pressure in check and your body healthy.

Prevents type 2 diabetes
Studies have shown that consuming meat and dairy products are linked with type 2 diabetes. By having the plat-based diet in your regular lives, you can help prevent type 2 diabetes or any other health complications caused by that.

Improves gut health
A plant-based diet improves gut health as it has many vegetables, fruits, and grains involved. The gut microbiota increases in the body, due to which one can experience better gut and no stomach problems.

Helps in losing weight
Usually, the primary purpose for many people to start a new diet is that they want to lose weight. Having all the healthy ingredients, the plant-based diet is highly effective for anyone trying to lose weight. The primary reason you can quickly lose weight by being on a plant-based diet is that it is rich in fiber.

Improves brain health
Since there is no consumption of animal products or saturated fat in the plant-based diet, it helps strengthen the brain too. With all healthy food, the brain health improves, the cognitive issues are at bay, and you can avoid dementia. Research shows that consuming a plant-based diet also protects our minds from falling into depressive symptoms and mental health issues.

Relives stress
Since plant-based foods are lighter, they also have a good impact on the mind. They help in detox and keep the body and mind relaxed.
Hippocrates says, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” So, to take care of your health, you have to take care of your diet. That is how you can lead a healthy lifestyle and keep all health issues at bay.
Since in today’s time people are unable to consume a balanced diet and intake an appropriate proportion of food, many brands are introducing dietary supplements. In case you feel your diet is not fulfilling your nutritional requirement, you can start taking vegan/plant-based supplements today.

Abhishek Sharma is Founder of Healthveda