In recent years, there has been a notable surge of public interest in health and wellness, as individuals become increasingly mindful of their appearance, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Within this trend, plant-based eating has gained significant traction with its beneficial role supported by numerous published research papers.
What exactly constitutes a plant-based diet, and what should one consider before fully committing?
What is plant-based diet (PBD):
A plant-based diet is a diet that emphasises on foods derived from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, while minimising or excluding animal products. It can also encompass a healthy omnivorous diet, where primarily plant-derived foods are consumed with occasional inclusion of healthy lean meats or dairy products.
Why is plant-based diet good:
1.Improvement of cardio-metabolic health
The BROAD study showcased the benefits of a holistic lifestyle intervention, combining a plant-based diet with exercise and medication adherence. Participants experienced notable improvements in weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, underscoring the potential of plant-based eating for enhancing overall health and well-being.
Link to read about the BROAD study: https://www.nature.com/articles/nutd20173
2. Walling off your calories while giving a boost to your metabolic rate
A plant-based diet places a strong emphasis on deriving macronutrients from structurally intact plant foods, with some calories remaining trapped within indigestible cell walls. This results in a lower calorie density, lower glycemic impact, and improved blood sugar levels compared to diets high in animal products or processed foods. In contrast, the cell structure of meat protein allows for easy breakdown, resulting in higher calorie availability.
By prioritising fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, individuals naturally consume fewer calories while still feeling satisfied. This can aid in weight regulation and potentially increase resting metabolic rate over time.
Furthermore, every time you eat, your body expends energy to digest, absorb, and metabolise nutrients, known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). Plant-based foods, especially those rich in protein and fibre, have a higher TEF compared to processed foods or simple carbohydrates. This increased energy expenditure during digestion can contribute to a higher resting metabolic rate with prolonged adherence to a plant-based diet.
3. Source of Prebiotics
Unlike the cell structure of meat protein, the plant cell wall is indigestible by our digestive enzymes. Assistance from our gut inhabitants is required to break down these cell walls, providing a beneficial source of nutrition for the gut microbiota. This means, chewing on a fresh celery stick not only nourishes our body but also feeding our gut microbiome.
Link to previous articles about gut microbiome:
Gut Microbiome and brain: https://www.medicalwriteup.com/post/the-gut-series-part-1-the-gut-brain
Gut Microbiome and Probiotics: https://www.medicalwriteup.com/post/the-gut-series-part-2-do-we-really-need-probiotics-supplements
4.High Fibre Content
Plant-based diets are typically rich in dietary fibre, which includes soluble and insoluble fibre found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. High-fibre foods take longer to digest, promoting a feeling of fullness and satiety.
Many centuries ago, our ancestors, evolving from our primate ape cousins, first embraced a plant-based diet before acquiring the skills for hunting through tool-making. This prompts the question: were humans originally intended to primarily consume plant-based foods?
Concerns and Challenges:
1.Knowledge is Important
I once had a patient who decided to adopt plant-based diet for health benefit. Despite her good intentions for health, she developed anaemia due to insufficient iron intake, leading to symptoms of lethargy and brittle nails.
The truth is, committing to a diet without sufficient knowledge can potentially harm one's body. While plant-based meals are often perceived as inherently healthy, they can also be high in salt, saturated fat, and sugar. For instance, a bag of chips for lunch is technically a plant-based meal too.
2. Under-eating Calories: Not Always Beneficial
Understanding your nutritional requirements is crucial when adopting a plant-based diet. While meals centred around greens and beans are beneficial for weight loss due to their lower calorie density, it's important to recognise that a calorie deficit may not be suitable for everyone. For instance, if you're a growing teenager or your body fat percentage is already low, under-eating on a plant-based diet could have negative consequences and should be avoided.
3. Meal Planning Challenges
Personally, I've embraced a plant-focused dietary approach rather than strictly adhering to a fully plant-based diet. In reality, dining out at plant-based restaurants or subscribing to plant-based meal services can strain my wallet.
Moreover, finding convenient options for lunch at work or while on-the-go isn't always simple. While meal prepping and planning is touted as the ideal solution, as a working mother of two, this is a real challenge and struggle. Sometimes the choice is either just potatoes or nothing at all. This is really unhealthy.
Therefore, I've chosen to adopt a plant-focused diet instead of fully committing to a plant-based lifestyle. My approach involves incorporating high-quality greens and beans into my meals, along with snacking on fresh fruits. If plant-based meal is not an option at that moment, Caesar salad will do just fine.
For those who share my love for proteins and beans, it's essential to exercise moderation and avoid overloading on beans to prevent unpleasant side effects. I learned this the hard way when I indulged in too much garbanzo beans and found myself in an embarrassing situation of excessive gas in public. (End of story, I'll spare the details.)
Conclusion:
There are many reasons why one is choosing to adopt plant-based diet but this article is solely meant to highlight the medical benefits and associated concerns. Plant-based diet is not automatically healthy, it is still important to read food label and understand what you are eating.
Food is not just a source of nourishment to our body but also to our soul. For some, food is more than just food. If restricting yourself to a diet that feels like punishment, one may also question the purpose of living. If you really have a strong desire to go plant-based but find it a struggle, perhaps try adopting to plant-focused diet and shift your attention to good quality food rather than the quantity.
Occasional indulgences like burgers or ice cream are not inherently detrimental. It's worth noting that studies like the BROAD study not only promoted a plant-based diet but also emphasised on healthy lifestyle habits, including regular exercise and medication adherence. Finding balance in dietary choices is crucial for overall well-being.
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