**Terminology and Definition**:
– The term “plant-based diet” was coined by T. Colin Campbell in 1980.
– Campbell’s research, The China Study, popularized plant-based diets.
– WHO defines plant-based diets as diverse patterns emphasizing plant foods.
– Distinction between plant-based and plant-only diets.
– Types of plant-based diets include vegan, vegetarian, and plant-forward eating patterns.
**Motivation and Prevalence**:
– Around 4 billion people primarily follow plant-based diets worldwide.
– Motivations for plant-based diets include health, taste, animal welfare, environment, and weight loss.
– WHO lists various diets under the plant-based category.
– Public health organizations endorse plant-based diets for their low ecological footprint.
– Greta Thunberg advocates for increased plant-based food production.
**Health Benefits and Research**:
– Plant-based diets aid in preventing chronic diseases.
– Vegetarians and vegans show higher overall diet quality.
– Plant-based diets improve weight control, cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin resistance.
– Plant-based diets are linked to lower risks of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.
– Scientific studies support the positive impact of plant-based diets on health.
**Nutritional Considerations and Recommendations**:
– Individuals following plant-based diets may need to supplement vitamin B12.
– The quality of vegetarian diets has been reviewed to be comparable to nonvegetarian diets.
– Adherence to a vegetarian diet has been linked to a reduced risk of developing diabetes.
– The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics endorses vegetarian diets for overall health.
– Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.
**Environmental Impact and Sustainability**:
– Plant-based diets have lower greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and biodiversity loss.
– Meat-based diets have a higher environmental footprint compared to plant-based diets.
– Embracing plant-based diets can help mitigate climate change.
– Plant-based diets are crucial for sustainability due to resource shortages.
– Livestock reduction is necessary for meeting climate change targets.
A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of fiber-rich plant products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They do not need to be vegan or vegetarian, but are defined in terms of low frequency of animal food consumption.
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