Getting protein from plant sources, like beans and nuts, instead of animal proteins like red meat and dairy products, is related to fewer deaths related to dementia and heart disease, according to a new study.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), studied more than 100,000 postmenopausal women for nearly 20 years.
Women in the study who ate more protein from plant sources had an associated risk of death related to heart disease and dementia and a lower risk of all-cause mortality or death from all causes compared to women who ate more red meat , dairy and eggs.
Why a plant-based diet can impact health factors like dementia and heart disease is the subject of two working theories in the medical and nutritional scientific literature, according to Dr. Jennifer Ashton, chief medical correspondent for ABC News and OB- GYN certified.
“One of them has to do with inflammatory metabolites, so these are by-products of animal protein that can affect the heart, the brain and our blood vessels,” said Ashton, who also has a master’s degree in human nutrition. “Other [theory] it has to do with the intestinal microbiome, that good bacterium and, obviously, what we eat is related to that. “
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Ashton said in “Good Morning America” Thursday that she followed a plant-based diet for the past three weeks and saw her bad cholesterol, or LDL, level and her body fat drop.
“My weight remained the same and I lost a spot on that dangerous internal visceral fat, so even someone who did it just a day or two a week could have some health benefits,” she said. “My advice is to dip your toe in the water.”
“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” she said. “You could start with just one day eating plant-based, so maybe it will take two, but, listen, if I can do it, anyone can do it.”
What is a vegetable-based diet?
A vegetable-based diet is a way of eating that consists mainly or entirely of plant-derived foods, including vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits.
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Thomas Colin Campbell, a biochemist at Cornell University, takes responsibility for giving his name to the plant-based way of eating. He said he coined the term in 1980 to “help present his research on diet to skeptical colleagues at the National Institutes of Health,” according to The New York Times.
“I wanted to emphasize that my work and ideas came entirely from science and not from any kind of ethical or philosophical consideration,” he told the newspaper.
Is a vegetable-based diet different from a vegan diet?
Yes, a plant-based diet consists of eating little or no animal food, while a vegan diet eliminates all animal foods and products – everything from meat and leather products to eggs and cheese, according to Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, an obesity medicine physician scientist at Harvard Medical School.
Vegetable diets are also different from vegetarian diets, which eliminate all meat, fish and poultry, according to Stanford.
Although religious, cultural or ethical reasons often motivate veganism and vegetarianism, plant-based diets are often done for health and environmental reasons.
Plant-based diets also often emphasize whole foods.
“There is a way to be healthy in any of them,” Stanford told “GMA” last year. “What I tell my patients is to find the best thing for them, because each person’s body is different and each person’s body responds differently.”
Why is there so much interest in plant-based diets?
Herbal diets have gained steady acclaim in recent years, often topping the US News & World Report’s annual ranking of best diets.
The 2011 documentary “Forks Over Knives” also put plant-based diets in the middle. The documentary was made by Brian Wendel, who attended a nutrition conference in 2001, started following a plant-based diet and then took the idea to the masses with the documentary and a best seller.
“The information has been around for a long time, at least from a health point of view, and we just helped to bring it to a mass audience,” Wendel told “GMA” last year. “I became convinced of the health argument in 2001 and just did it overnight. Until that time, I ate animal products every day.”
More recently, another documentary, “The Game Changers”, has put plant-based diets in the spotlight. The 2019 documentary, produced by James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger, shows the trajectory of a former MMA fighter who gives up meat.
Celebrities like Kim Kardashian West have also announced the adoption of a plant-based diet, increasing interest in how to eat.
Another factor is the argument that plant-based eating is better for the environment, according to Deirdre K. Tobias, an assistant professor in the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health.
“We see how much land is needed to supply and grow a single hamburger, for example,” she said. “I think that awareness was really revealing to many people who may have disregarded dietary advice for health reasons.”
What are the good things to eat on a plant-based diet?
Wendel, from “Forks Over Knives”, emphasizes eating minimally processed whole foods on a plant-based diet.
“For me, the best guide is whether the food still looks like when you take it off the floor? When you cook a potato, it still looks like a potato, ”he said. “The more a food is like that, the more you can rely on it in your diet and lifestyle, for health benefits.”
Of course, fresh fruits and vegetables are a big part of a plant-based diet, as are nuts, whole grains and legumes. Seafood and meat products can also occasionally be part of a vegetable-based diet.
Wendel emphasizes eating more than just vegetables on a plant-based diet to ensure you are getting enough calories.
“Make starchy foods – beans, rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, chickpeas – the center of the dish because it has the energy to sustain it,” he said. “And then wrap it with vegetables.”
Herbal diets reduce the risk of heart disease and dementia, according to a study originally published on goodmorningamerica.com