What are the benefits of vegetarian or plant-based eating?
In the pure form, plant-based eating refers to diets that are high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. It includes strict vegetarians and vegans yet doesn’t exclude those who eat meat or fish too. It’s about consuming mostly plant foods, or at the least, more plant foods. Maybe you’re just a Meatless Monday kind of person and that’s fine too.
Plants deliver vitamins and minerals, as well as a whole host of complex compounds, phytochemicals and other elements. These components have a profound and positive affect on our physiology and cannot be synthesised in a lab. Here are some of the benefits of eating more vegie meals:
- Boost your gut health as plants are high in fibre.
- Better manage your weight as plants are low in calories.
- Improve your quality of sleep.
- Lower your risk of chronic disease (such as cancer and type 2 diabetes).
- Beneficial for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, osteoporosis, dementia, gallstones and rheumatoid arthritis to name a few.