Did you know that poor diet is the leading cause of mortality in the world? Preventable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer are highly influenced by our diet. So what diet is most protective against disease?
Why Plant-Based?
When researching which diets are the most beneficial to preventing disease, plant-based diets are consistently associated with protective factors. While most critics of the plant-based diet have previously argued there is little research backing the diet’s protective factors against cognitive diseases, recent studies demonstrate that plant-based diets are also effective in preventing cognitive diseases such as dementia. Not to mention the exciting new associations of a diverse microbiota (supported by a plant-based diet!) with improved quality of life and decreased depression.
Another overlooked factor of the benefits of a plant-based diet is its cost-effectiveness: eating plant-based does not mean splurging on highly processed vegan foods! Plant-based meals can be as simple as packing a protein-packed bean, fibrous grain, and an antioxidant-rich vegetable for lunch. As plant-based dietitians who see patients all over the world, we understand that all of our patients have different budgets for starting their #GoodGut journey. Plant-based eating does not have to be as extravagant as it’s thought to be - it really is quite simple!
Not only is plant-based a great way to protect against disease, but it’s also the most sustainable diet for the environment. According to research, if every American ate plant-based food at least once a week, the United States would reduce thousands of tons of carbon emissions every year. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, plant-based diets also preserve thousands of gallons of water per meal! To put this into context, 1 pound of beef can require up to 8,000 gallons of water to produce. Meanwhile, 1 pound of tofu requires 302 gallons of water to produce. Not only do you get all the #GoodGut benefits from a plant-based protein, but you also save tons (literally tons!) of water every time you choose to eat a plant-based meal.
Plant-Based and Gut Health
A plant-based diet is more beneficial for your gut microbiota than an omnivorous diet. Following a whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet promotes a more stable and diverse microbial ecosystem, which is critical in preventing disease. Whole foods have their own diverse microbiota, and eating these foods directly translates for a more efficient way of promoting our own gut microbiome. Contrarily, eating an animal product, which gets its gut microbiota from plants, dilutes the microbiota when the animal product is consumed. Eating whole foods directly is more efficient because there is no middleman (an animal product), so our body can maximize the benefits of plant foods.
Plant-Based Dietitians vs. Non Plant-Based Dietitians
As plant-based dietitians, we recognize that the world of a WFPB lifestyle can be confusing, intimidating, and overwhelming. While non plant-based dietitians encourage the consumption of animal products as sources of “exclusive” nutrients, research has proven that is not the case! We love sharing new research studies with our patients about how a plant-based diet can provide the same nutrients (and more) as one that includes animal products.
Interested in starting your plant-based journey with us? Our plant-based registered dietitians would love to meet with you to discuss your goals, current gut health, and the right WFPB path for you! Want to know more about Married to Health? Let us introduce ourselves! Married to Health was founded by James, RD, EN and Dahlia Marin, RDN, LD. James has a background in environmental nutrition, which he uses as part of his approach with patients and all projects he takes on. He also takes into account family history, stress, and lifestyle when tailoring plans for his patients. Dahlia has implemented a plant-based lifestyle for the past 11 years in her own life to overcome pre-diabetes, obesity, PCOS, fatty liver, and Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism. Using her experience, she understands the personal struggles of her clients and the obstacles that come with changing one’s nutrition habits.
Interested in meeting other plant-based dietitians across the country? Meet some of our favorite plant-based dietitians that we love partnering with:
Cole Adam, RD specializes in heart health, longevity, overall wellness, and eco-friendly living. Not only does he advocate for plant-based nutrition, but aims to implement sustainable practices (outside of diet) in his everyday life. Follow him @the.eco.dietitian for more on sustainable and plant-based living!
Jen Hernandez, RDN, CSR, LDN focuses on renal plant-based nutrition in order to preserve kidney function. With career experience in several dialysis clinics in Texas, California, and Hawaii, she understands her patients’ experience with kidney failure, and how to preserve kidney health. Her dietetic practice, Plant-Powered Kidneys focuses on renal health and offers a 6-week Plant-Powered Kidneys Course. Interested? Follow her on Instagram at @plant.powered.kidneys.
Karla Moreno-Bryce, MDA, RD, LD specializes in vegan nutrition for infants, toddlers, and children. She emphasizes the importance of teaching kids at a young age about plant-based foods, aiming to instill in them vegan practices for the rest of their lives. If you would like guidance in teaching your children the importance of plant-based foods, follow her at @vegan.kids.nutrition!
Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD aims to help patients transition to a plant-based diet in order to optimize health. Her new book, Going Vegan for Beginners gives amazing tips on overcoming the often overwhelming transition into veganism. For more information on her practice, follow her at @drpamela.rd!
Kristina DeMuth, MPH, RD, LD specializes in public health nutrition, social media strategy, and plant-based recipe development. Using her background in public health, she understands the social determinants that impact nutrition and wellness through nutrition education programs. If you want to follow Krisitna’s current projects, you can follow her at @kristinademuth.
Catherine Perez, MS, RD emphasizes the importance of giving yourself grace when starting your plant-based journey. She believes that all individuals, whether they are fully plant-based or not, can benefit from incorporating plant-based foods into their diets. By starting with small plant-based changes in one’s diet, she knows that one will likely succeed at a plant-based lifestyle long-term. Follow her @plantbasedrd!
Amanda Sevilla, RDN not only specializes in plant-based eating, but also loves teaching others about the importance of mindfulness exercises such as meditation and yoga. As a current student of Ayurvedic Medicine and future Dharma Life Coach, she recognizes the power that spiritual health has on gut health and overall well-being. You can follow her at @amandasevilla to learn more about her spiritual and plant-based practices!
Lastly, Julianna Hever, MS, RD, CPT has several specialties in weight loss, sports nutrition, and disease prevention, management, and reversal. Her clientele range from infants to seniors and helps guide them through the transition to a whole food, plant-based diet. As a guest on talk shows such as The Dr. Oz Show, The Steve Harvey Show, and Reluctantly Healthy, she advocates the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. For more information, follow her @julieannahever!
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References
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Gonzalez-Dominguez, R., Castellano-Escuder, P., Carmona, F., Lefevre-Arbogast, S., Low, D., Du Preez, A,. Ruigrok, S., Manach, C., Urpi-Sarda, M., Korosi, A., Lucassen, P., Aigner, L., Pallas, M., Thuret, S., Samieri, C., Sanchez-Pla, A., & Andres-Lacueva, C. (2021). Food and Microbiota Metabolites Associate with Cognitive Decline in Older Subjects: A 12-Year Prospective Study. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 65(23).
Jalava, M., Kummu, M., Porkka, M., Siebert, S., & Varis, O. (2014). Diet change - a solution to reduce water use?. Environmental Research Letters, 9(7). https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/9/7/074016/meta
Medawar, E., Huhn, S., Villringer, A., & Witte, A. (2019). The effects of plant-based diets on the body and the brain: a systematic review. Translational Psychiatry, 9, 226. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0552-0
Tomova, A., Bukovsky, I., Rembert, E., Yonas, W., Alwarith, J., Barnard, N., & Kahleova, H. (2019). The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota. Frontiers in Nutrition, 6, 47.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478664/
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Valles-Colomer, M., Felony, G., Darzi, Y., Tigcheleaar, E., Wang, J., Tito, R., Schiweck, C., Kurilshikov, A., Joossens, M., Wijmenga, C., Claes, S., Van Oudenhove, L., Zhernakova, A., Vieira-Silva, S., & Raes, J. (2019). The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression. Nature Microbiology, 4, 623-632.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-018-0337-x