{"id":104968,"date":"2021-04-07T08:30:38","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T00:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pamper.my\/news\/?p=104968"},"modified":"2021-04-07T09:04:12","modified_gmt":"2021-04-07T01:04:12","slug":"why-a-plant-based-diet-is-good-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pamper.my\/news\/health\/diet-nutrition\/why-a-plant-based-diet-is-good-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a Plant-based Diet is Good for You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plant-based diets<\/strong> are trending these days. The good news is that not only is it a popular diet, the science actually supports a plant-based diet. A plant-based diet is based on foods derived from mainly fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, with little or few animal products.<\/strong> You would have probably heard of such terms as flexitarian, vegetarian (lacto-, ovo-, lacto-ovo-) and vegan which are all permutations of plant-based diets.<\/p>\n

Flexitarianism is the most liberal form of plant-based diet.<\/strong> Flexitarians follow a predominantly plant-based diet but occasionally still allow meat in their diet in moderation. Lacto-vegetarian diets are centered on plant foods but include dairy products. Ovo-vegetarians consume plant foods and eggs. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians are vegetarians who include eggs and dairy products.\u00a0 Vegans are the strictest of the lot in which they only consume plant foods. Being the most restrictive type of plant-based diet means it runs the highest risk of nutrient deficiencies if the diet is not well balanced.<\/p>\n

Plant-based diets are beneficial to health because they are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat<\/strong>, which help you manage your weight, and may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Some high fibre foods also have a lower glycaemic index (GI) which means they provide a slow release of carbohydrate into the blood and help with type 2 diabetes management. The combined effect of fibre and low GI may help keep you feeling full for longer. Indirectly, this helps you snack less and consume a less calorific meal which is what you would want to do to control your weight.<\/p>\n

A plant-based diet tends to have less fat and saturated fat. Cutting down on saturated fat intake (by substituting with polyunsaturated fats or complex carbohydrates) reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n

Plant-based diets also get brownie points for cancer prevention especially colon cancer. Dietary fibre in plant-based foods prevents constipation and provides energy for good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.<\/p>\n

Plant-based diets which are not well-planned are often questioned on sufficiency of energy and protein. Here are some nutrients you should pay attention to when considering a plant-based diet.<\/p>\n

Protein<\/h3>\n

Protein is essential for building muscle tissue and repairing cells. Plant-based protein does not provide a complete source of essential amino acids unlike meat-based protein. In order to provide all the different essential amino acids, it is important to have a variety of plant-based sources of protein including lentils, beans, chickpeas, seeds, nuts and nut butters (e.g. peanut butter), and tofu. There is a multitude of plant-based meat alternatives such as those based on fungal protein (e.g. mushroom), wheat gluten, soy and pea\/mung bean which is useful when adapting to a meat-less diet.<\/p>\n

Calcium<\/h3>\n