Diet is integral for achieving and sustaining optimum health. Maintaining a healthy weight, controlling your blood sugar levels, sustaining normal blood pressure and minimizing your blood cholesterol and fats through your diet are keys to reducing risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease, respectively. Diet may also protect you from cancer, gastrointestinal and neurodegenerative diseases. Optimum diets are supported by scientific research. Consult your doctor before beginning a new diet.
Vegan Diet
A vegan diet is comprised solely of plant-based foods that include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Vegans also eat sprouts, such as sunflower sprouts, alfalfa sprouts and lentil sprouts. Some vegans prefer only raw foods. A vegan diet may help you to lose excess body weight and fat, control your blood sugar, improve your cardiovascular health and reduce your risks for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. A vegan diet may be stronger in reducing the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease compared with the National Cholesterol Education Program diet, a low calorie, low fat diet of conventional foods, such as lean meats and low fat dairy. Research by Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy, Ph.D., published in "Obesity" in 2007 discovered that a vegan diet is associated with significantly greater weight loss than the National Cholesterol Education Program diet at the end of one to two years. Research by Neal Barnard, M.D., published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2009 found that a vegan diet is associated with sustained reductions in weight and improved blood sugar, cholesterol and fat concentrations. A vegan diet may also protect against development of Parkinson's disease, according to research by Mark McCarty published in "Medical Hypotheses" in 2001. A vegan diet could result in a vitamin B 12 deficiency. Consult your doctor about supplements.
Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian Diet
A vegetarian diet differs from a vegan diet by including eggs and dairy products. A vegetarian diet that includes whole foods and low-fat or fat-free dairy and avoids processed foods, such as refined grains and soft drinks, may help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Research by F. Robinson published in the "Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics" in 2002 demonstrates that switching from a meat diet to a vegetarian diet results in improved blood cholesterol and fats and reduced risks of cardiovascular disease.
Mediterranean Diet
A Mediterranean diet is comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, soft cheese and fish. Research by Faustino Perez-Lopez, M.D., published in "Maturitas" in 2009 reports that individuals who adhere to a Mediterranean diet have a longer life-span and are about 10 to 20 percent less likely to die from heart disease, cancer or any other cause. The study also reports that a Mediterranean diet may lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and mortality, decrease weight and the risk of obesity, protect against cancer, and reduce risk of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and neurodegenerative age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
References
- American Heart Association: Metabolic Syndrome
- The Vegetarian Resource Group: Veganism in a Nutshell
- PubMed.gov: A Two-Year Randomized Weight Loss Trial Comparing a Vegan Diet to a More Moderate Low-Fat Diet
- PubMed.gov: A Low-Fat Vegan Diet and a Conventional Diabetes Diet in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Controlled, 74-Wk Clinical Trial
- PubMed.gov: Does a Vegan Diet Reduce Risk for Parkinson's Disease?
