Word has got around by now that a plant-based diet prevents lifestyle diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Results of a current study by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health , which was presented at a conference of the American Heart Association have now shown, however, that you can still benefit from switching to a plant-based diet at a late age and regardless of your previous eating habits.

Switching to a plant-based diet: It is never too late

The main message of the study is: More plant-based foods ensure a longer life . Even middle-aged people benefit from making their diet more plant-based. This also applies to people who previously had a rather unhealthy diet. So it is never too late to do something for your health. However, not all plant-based foods should be lumped together. While whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, sugary drinks, white flour, and sweets actually increase it. Because a plant-based diet is not automatically healthy, after all, plants also serve as the basis for chips, fries, sugar and Co.

The influence of the following diets on health was examined: A general plant-based diet, a healthy (many Whole grain products and plenty of fruit and vegetables) and an unhealthy (white flour products and sugary foods) plant-based diet.

The right plant-based diet can reduce the risk of death

The study participants who followed a plant-based diet that was neither particularly healthy nor particularly unhealthy for the twelve years had an 8% lower risk of death. Those who followed a healthy diet even reduced the risk of death by 10% . These subjects attacked z. B. returned more often to whole grains and ate a lot of fruit and vegetables. In contrast, the group with the unhealthy food choices increased the risk by 11%.

The study examined data from 47,983 women from the Nurses Health Study and 25,737 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study . The average age of the participants was 64 years. The data were collected over an observation period of twelve years (1998 – 2004). But even before this period the nutritional data of the subjects was recorded. The study also allowed conclusions to be drawn about the subjects’ previous eating habits. This is exactly what makes the study so special. Because it shows that the positive effect of a plant-based diet occurs regardless of the original diet .

Conclusion

Over time, consuming more whole grains, fruits and vegetables while reducing your intake of refined grains, sweets and desserts as well as animal foods such as meat and milk and dairy products can lower the risk of death from heart disease and other lifestyle diseases , according to study director Megu Y. Baden.

The results are in line with other studies. Reasons for the positive effects of a plant-based diet are presumably the higher intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals and secondary plant substances . In addition, vegetable protein has a low risk of death combined as animal protein.

How to make your diet healthier:

• Replace white flour products with whole grains
• Eat less meat and animal products
• Avoid soft drinks and sugary drinks
• Eat one more serving of fruit and one more serving of vegetables per day
• Reduce your consumption of sweets

Please note:

With a plant-based diet, the consumption of Vitamin B12 necessary. Iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B2 are also critical nutrients in a vegan diet. Our Vegan Essentials provide people with a vegan lifestyle with all the important vitamins and minerals.