Plant-based diets: What are the benefits?

Plant-based diets are often significantly lower in the things we are told to avoid by healthy eating guidelines – such as saturated, trans- and total fats.

Plant-based diets are also devoid of dietary cholesterol, which is only found in animal products. They also tend to be higher in dietary fibre, magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamins C and E, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other beneficial phytochemicals.

These characteristics may explain the many health benefits associated with a plant-based diet, which include:

• Lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels

• Reversal or prevention of heart disease

• Longer life expectancy

• Healthier weight (regardless of how active you are)

• Lower risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes

• Improved symptoms of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis

• Fewer medications

• Lower foods costs; and

• Less damage to the environment, which means better health for those living in that environment (i.e. all of us!)