Plant-Based Diets for Reversing Disease and Saving the Planet: Past, Present, and Future

ABSTRACT The relative contributions of meat and plants to the native human diet, and human adaptation to these dietary constituents, are a matter of debate among paleoanthropologists. Indisputable, however, is the imprint of both on the anatomy and physiology of Homo sapiens: our species is constitutionally omnivorous. That means we have choices to make. At present, we are making mostly bad ones, with poor diets of highly processed plant and animal foods alike leading contributors to chronic disease, premature death, and environmental degradation. The evidence is strong, consistent, and compelling that a diet of predominantly, or even exclusively, whole plant foods can promote health, selectively treat and reverse disease, and confer comparable benefit to the planet. Omnivores have dietary choices, but the choices of nearly 8 billion hungry Homo sapiens on a small imperiled planet have narrowed. The future of food, for the sake of people and planet alike, is plant centric.

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Combining Selenium Biofortification with Vermicompost Growing Media in Lamb’s Lettuce (Valerianella locusta L. Laterr)

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11111072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1072

Author(s):

Lucija Galić ◽

Marija Špoljarević ◽

Alicja Auriga ◽

Boris Ravnjak ◽

Tomislav Vinković ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Waste ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Leafy Vegetables ◽

Sodium Selenate ◽

Human Populations ◽

Human Diet ◽

Growing Media ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Growing Medium

Leafy vegetables are a daily part of the human diet all over the world. At the same time, a worldwide problem of Se malnutrition is present in human populations, mostly due to low soil Se contents. As plants represent the main source of this element in the human diet, with Se being an essential trace element for humans and animals, plant foods containing Se can be used as an efficient means of increasing the Se in the human diet, as well as in animal feed (biofortification). At the same time, the production of growing media relies on limited peat reserves. The use of earthworms facilitates the production of composted organic masses mostly consisting of organic waste, called vermicompost. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of three different growing media (commercial peat media, vermicompost, and a 1:1 mixture) on Se biofortification’s efficacy and yield in lamb’s lettuce. The Se biofortification was performed with sodium selenate (Na2SeO4). It was shown that biofortification increased the Se contents such that a mass of only 48.9 g of fresh leaves contained enough Se for the recommended daily intake in human nutrition (55 µg Se/day), which represents a significant potential for solving Se malnutrition. Furthermore, the use of a 1:1 vermicompost–commercial substrate mixture showed a similar performance to the peat growing medium, contributing to the preservation of peat reserves.

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Other risk factors and explanations

Epidemic of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes ◽

10.1093/med/9780198833246.003.0008 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 173-197

Author(s):

Raj S. Bhopal

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Hypothesis Testing ◽

Vitamin D Deficiency ◽

Chronic Inflammation ◽

Thyroid Dysfunction ◽

South Asians ◽

Evaluation Studies ◽

Anatomy And Physiology

As is usual with medical and scientific puzzles, there have been numerous creative ideas to explain South Asians’ susceptibility to diabetes, CHD, and stroke that have not been developed into either fully articulated hypotheses or have rarely or never been included in hypothesis testing or evaluation studies. These include thyroid dysfunction, lactose intolerance, vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, infection, and chronic inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency has been studied intensively recently in relation to chronic disease including some work on South Asians. Cardiovascular anatomy and physiology has been explored in observational and though these explanations have little theoretical foundation but they need some consideration.

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A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Is Effective for Weight Loss: The Evidence

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine ◽

10.1177/1559827620912400 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 500-510

Author(s):

Michael Greger

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

The United States ◽

Food Plant ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Dietary Interventions ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Obesity Epidemic ◽

Whole Plant

What does the best available balance of scientific evidence show is the optimum way to lose weight? Calorie density, water content, protein source, and other components significantly influence the effectiveness of different dietary regimes for weight loss. By “walling off your calories,” preferentially deriving your macronutrients from structurally intact plant foods, some calories remain trapped within indigestible cell walls, which then blunts the glycemic impact, activates the ileal brake, and delivers prebiotics to the gut microbiome. This may help explain why the current evidence indicates that a whole food, plant-based diet achieves greater weight loss compared with other dietary interventions that do not restrict calories or mandate exercise. So, the most effective diet for weight loss appears to be the only diet shown to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients. Plant-based diets have also been found to help treat, arrest, and reverse other leading chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, whereas low-carbohydrate diets have been found to impair artery function and worsen heart disease, the leading killer of men and women in the United States. A diet centered on whole plant foods appears to be a safe, simple, sustainable solution to the obesity epidemic.

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A review of the epidemiological evidence for the ‘antioxidant hypothesis’

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2003543 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 407-422 ◽

Cited By ~ 274

Author(s):

SA Stanner ◽

J Hughes ◽

CNM Kelly ◽

J Buttriss

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Research Programme ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Food Standards ◽

Independent Review ◽

High Doses ◽

Intervention Trials ◽

Antioxidant Supplements

AbstractObjective:The British Nutrition Foundation was recently commissioned by the Food Standards Agency to conduct a review of the government's research programme onAntioxidants in Food. Part of this work involved an independent review of the scientific literature on the role of antioxidants in chronic disease prevention, which is presented in this paper.Background:There is consistent evidence that diets rich in fruit and vegetables and other plant foods are associated with moderately lower overall mortality rates and lower death rates from cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. The ‘antioxidant hypothesis’ proposes that vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids and other antioxidant nutrients afford protection against chronic diseases by decreasing oxidative damage.Results:Although scientific rationale and observational studies have been convincing, randomised primary and secondary intervention trials have failed to show any consistent benefit from the use of antioxidant supplements on cardiovascular disease or cancer risk, with some trials even suggesting possible harm in certain subgroups. These trials have usually involved the administration of single antioxidant nutrients given at relatively high doses. The results of trials investigating the effect of a balanced combination of antioxidants at levels achievable by diet are awaited.Conclusion:The suggestion that antioxidant supplements can prevent chronic diseases has not been proved or consistently supported by the findings of published intervention trials. Further evidence regarding the efficacy, safety and appropriate dosage of antioxidants in relation to chronic disease is needed. The most prudent public health advice remains to increase the consumption of plant foods, as such dietary patterns are associated with reduced risk of chronic disease.

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Dietary Patterns, Whole Plant Foods, Nutrients and Phytochemicals in Breast Cancer Prevention and Management

Dietary Patterns and Whole Plant Foods in Aging and Disease ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-59180-3_20 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 557-609 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mark L. Dreher

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Prevention ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Breast Cancer Prevention ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Whole Plant

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Reducing excess mortality due to chronic disease in people with severe mental illness: Meta-review of health interventions

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.115.163170 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 208 (4) ◽

pp. 322-329 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Amanda J. Baxter ◽

Meredith G. Harris ◽

Yasmin Khatib ◽

Traolach S. Brugha ◽

Heidrun Bien ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

Health Management ◽

Premature Death ◽

Glucose Levels ◽

Risk Of Mortality ◽

Meta Review ◽

Index Weight

BackgroundPeople with severe mental illness (SMI) have high rates of chronic disease and premature death.AimsTo explore the strength of evidence for interventions to reduce risk of mortality in people with SMI.MethodIn a meta-review of 16 systematic reviews of controlled studies, mortality was the primary outcome (8 reviews). Physiological health measures (body mass index, weight, glucose levels, lipid profiles and blood pressure) were secondary outcomes (14 reviews).ResultsAntipsychotic and antidepressant medications had some protective effect on mortality, subject to treatment adherence. Integrative community care programmes may reduce physical morbidity and excess deaths, but the effective ingredients are unknown. Interventions to improve unhealthy lifestyles and risky behaviours can improve risk factor profiles, but longer follow-up is needed. Preventive interventions and improved medical care for comorbid chronic disease may reduce excess mortality, but data are lacking.ConclusionsImproved adherence to pharmacological and physical health management guidelines is indicated.

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Prevention of chronic disease in the 21st century: elimination of the leading preventable causes of premature death and disability in the USA

The Lancet ◽

10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60648-6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 384 (9937) ◽

pp. 45-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 583

Author(s):

Ursula E Bauer ◽

Peter A Briss ◽

Richard A Goodman ◽

Barbara A Bowman

Keyword(s):

Chronic Disease ◽

21St Century ◽

Premature Death ◽

The Usa

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‘The way to a man's heart is through his gut microbiota’ – dietary pro- and prebiotics for the management of cardiovascular risk

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665113003911 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 172-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Kieran M. Tuohy ◽

Francesca Fava ◽

Roberto Viola

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Disease ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Blood Cholesterol ◽

Human Gut ◽

Cvd Risk ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Whole Plant ◽

The Way

The human gut microbiota has been identified as a possible novel CVD risk factor. This review aims to summarise recent insights connecting human gut microbiome activities with CVD and how such activities may be modulated by diet. Aberrant gut microbiota profiles have been associated with obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Transfer of microbiota from obese animals induces metabolic disease and obesity in germ-free animals. Conversely, transfer of pathogen-free microbiota from lean healthy human donors to patients with metabolic disease can increase insulin sensitivity. Not only are aberrant microbiota profiles associated with metabolic disease, but the flux of metabolites derived from gut microbial metabolism of choline, phosphatidylcholine andl-carnitine has been shown to contribute directly to CVD pathology, providing one explanation for increased disease risk of eating too much red meat. Diet, especially high intake of fermentable fibres and plant polyphenols, appears to regulate microbial activities within the gut, supporting regulatory guidelines encouraging increased consumption of whole-plant foods (fruit, vegetables and whole-grain cereals), and providing the scientific rationale for the design of efficacious prebiotics. Similarly, recent human studies with carefully selected probiotic strains show that ingestion of viable microorganisms with the ability to hydrolyse bile salts can lower blood cholesterol, a recognised risk factor in CVD. Taken together such observations raise the intriguing possibility that gut microbiome modulation by whole-plant foods, probiotics and prebiotics may be at the base of healthy eating pyramids advised by regulatory agencies across the globe. In conclusion, dietary strategies which modulate the gut microbiota or their metabolic activities are emerging as efficacious tools for reducing CVD risk and indicate that indeed, the way to a healthy heart may be through a healthy gut microbiota.

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Towards an integrated approach to food behaviour: Meat consumption and substitution, from context to consumers

Psychology Community & Health ◽

10.5964/pch.v5i2.169 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 152-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

João Graça

Keyword(s):

Global Health ◽

Food Habits ◽

Large Scale ◽

Meat Consumption ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Critical Issue ◽

Psychological Processes ◽

Human Diet ◽

Dietary Choices ◽

Sustainability Challenges

BackgroundHuman diet is increasingly acknowledged as a critical issue in global health and sustainability challenges.AimThis article draws on meat consumption and substitution to illustrate how two features facilitate an integrated approach to understanding food behaviour: (1) framing such behaviour in a wider historical, sociocultural and environmental context; and (2) acknowledging the role that psychological processes play in consumer willingness and propensity to engage in a given diet.ConclusionTo mobilize large-scale changes towards healthier and more sustainable dietary choices, the article concludes with a call for developing conceptual, methodological and delivery tools that: (1) consider the context in which food habits take place; and (2) identify and engage with different groups of consumers.

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