5 Reasons Why You Should Totally Switch To A Plant-Based Diet

In the spectrum of nutrition, the plant-based diet is a buzzword now, mainly because it is believed to cure cancer. Switching to a plant-based diet means cutting ties with regular meat, processed food items of any sort, and acquiring the required nutrition from food items that primarily originate from plants.

While most people think a plant-based diet only comprises fruits, vegetables or grains, consuming other plant-based products such as nuts, seeds, oils, legumes and beans are just as beneficial in adding up to the nutritional value.

Today, many people all over the world are switching to plant-based diets, thanks to the documentaries like "What the health" (2017), "Cowspiracy" (2014) and "Forks over Knives" (2011) that educated people on the endless benefits of eating farm produces rather than killing animals to supplement the need for nutrition.

People are now aware of the advantages of eating a plant-based diet, including curing diabetes, cutting down the risk of high blood pressure and helping keep obesity at bay. Robert Wolfe, Ph.D., professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, told Very Well Health that consuming a plant-based diet help generate essential amino acids that assist a person in maintaining lean body mass.

"Animal-based proteins have a greater density of protein than plant-based proteins, and more importantly, a greater abundance of essential amino acids per gram of food source," Wolfe told the publication. "Essential amino acids are the 'active' components of dietary protein with regard to maintaining the lean body mass," he added.

On this note, for those who are considering giving a plant-based diet a go, below are a few reasons to give it a try:

It reduces heart disease. Plant-based protein has proven beneficial for the heart's health as it isn't loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, which are found mostly on meat, fish, dairy and eggs. A study published in 2014 substantiated the fact, claiming that 177 of 198 heart patients who switched to a plant-based diet reported a major reduction in symptoms while some reported "disease reversal."

It reduces the risk of stroke. The brain suffers stroke when the blood supply is interrupted and reduced, cutting the supply of oxygen and nutrition. A study published by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health concluded that people who eat diets with higher amounts of healthy plant-based foods are less susceptible to suffering a stroke.

It cures type-2 diabetes. A plant-based diet can cause your diabetes level, especially insulin-dependant to dip.

It cures high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs when the blood pressure and the force of blood gushing through the blood vessels in significantly high. A study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes Of Health plant-based nutrition can effectively cut the risk of hypertension or high blood pressure. The study said that a plant-based diet lowers the sodium in the blood, increases potassium and reduces oxidative stress, causing high blood pressure to subside.

It cures obesity. Obesity is a pressing concern today among young children and older adults. While diet plays a very crucial role in weight loss, a plant-based diet helps achieve the ideal weight faster because this diet focuses on food that is high in nutrients and low in fat content.