For ages – scientists, environmentalists, and nutritionists have been calling out the perks of switching to a plant-based diet. Bottom line – the benefits of vegetarian diets are tremendous and the common Joe finally seems to be getting on board with the concept. If you are striving to lose those extra pounds, making healthier choices, or thinking in regard to the environment, a plant-based diet is your best buddy.
Here are some of the benefits a plant-based diet offers to your physical bodily functions, that can help you make your decision to incorporate a vegetarian diet more often in your food intake or probably completely switch to one. The choice is yours!
- Your plate of immunity booster – A plate filled with plant products is like a pill having benefits of all the essential vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Exactly how Mother Nature always intended to boost our health!
Research has shown that plants provide you with everything your body needs to fight off infections and strengthen your immune system. It ensures that your cells are healthy and toxin-free and also detoxifies your body from within, ensuring the best performance of your immune system.
- Helps your gut flora – Maintaining a healthy gut is the way to ensuring a healthy, disease free and optimally performing body. Say bye-bye to all your stomach troubles with a regular plant-based diet! It helps your gut in the following ways:
- Cleansing effect – Fiber is a key component of the human nutrition system and is present in plant based foods in good quantity. It helps in keeping your cholesterol levels under control and maintain good bowel movements. It also helps in cleaning your tracts, ensuring better absorption of food.
- Saves energy – Vegetarian diet is also mild on our digestive system. When compared to meat products, plant products are easier for the gut flora to metabolize, hence gets absorbed faster and easy to derive nutrition from.
- Reduced fat deposition – Fat and cholesterol deposition in the lining of the walls of the digestive pathways is one the leading causes of obesity and leads to poor food absorption. Plant based diet is low on unhealthy fat and cholesterol and hence helps keep the gut deposition free.
- Inflammation extinguisher – Antioxidants and phytochemicals neutralize chemicals from pollutants, processed preservative packed food, pathogens and more. Antioxidants present in plants help tone down the free radicals in your body (they cause inflammations and support the growth of cancerous cells). A prolonged experience of inflammation can cause arthritis too.
- Healthier body weight and mass – It is an utter misconception that weight gain and muscle building can be achieved only through meat and eggs. Recent studies show protein and good fats regardless of its source help build muscles. Whether you are looking to lose weight by eating clean, to gain muscle or just striving towards a healthier lifestyle, a plant based diet covers it all for you. A consciously curated meal plan with the right amount of protein, fats and carbohydrates can give you the desired protein amount, maintain calories while filling your nutrition budget well.
- Improved cardiovascular health – Processed food and meat products have high levels of unsaturated fats and bad cholesterol which cause blockages and strokes. Plant diets with low fats, cholesterol and sodium contents is what your arteries need to function properly without stress.
A well curated and balanced plant based diet is the key to a better functioning body. It not only reduces your risks of heart and gut related diseases but also helps maintain insulin levels in type 2 diabetes. Some researchers have also found out that benefits of a vegetarian diet has even proved to be helpful in fighting off cancer.
The choice of switching to a plant based diet is your body’s biggest blessing and pathway to a healthier life.