Dear friends,
Thanks for enquiring about the benefits of plant-based foods, I am more than happy to share with you what I have learned so far. I hope it will help you to demythify your concerns.
Question #1 : Consuming only plant-based foods will lead to malnutrition?
First we have to look at the nutrients that contained inside plant-based foods. All the essential nutrients that are required by our body, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, vitamins and minerals; all of them can be found in plant-based food.
Many people have the wrong perception that consuming only plant-based foods will lead to malnutrition, lacking sufficient protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin B12. This is completely absurd and far from the truth. With all the nutrition analysis of food readily available online today, it is easy for anyone to find all the information on nutrition of plant-based foods to dispel this myth. One particular website I would recommend is HealthAliciousNess.com – It listed out every single nutrient and the top 10 foods high in the particular nutrient. The site covers both animal-based foods and plant-based foods, and needless to say, every essential nutrient has good sources from plant-based foods.
Question #2 : Plant-based protein is low quality protein?
There is also this concept that plant-based protein is of “low quality” and animal-based protein is of “high quality”. I have even met a nutritionist who encouraged cancer patients to consume more meat and diary because they are superior and of higher quality. This is a misunderstanding. As pointed out by Dr. T. Colin Campbell in “The China Study”, the so-called “high quality” only means that the amino acid arrangements and proportions are closer to the amino acids that we need to make our own protein in the body. It does not mean consuming “high quality” protein is better for the body. On the contrary, consuming animal-based protein has been linked significantly to Diseases of Affluence, including cancers, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. This is one of the important findings from the China project conducted by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and his colleagues back in the 80’s. (Visit T Colin Campbell Foundation to find out more. http://www.tcolincampbell.org)
Question #3 : Animal-based foods are superior ?
Plant-based foods are distinctively different from animal-based foods from a number of aspects. Animal-based foods are high in protein and saturated fats as compared to plant-based foods. Excess animal-based protein and saturated fats leads to obesity and many diseases. Plant-based foods have no cholesterol; cholesterol is found only in animal-based food. We now know that blood-cholesterol level is the leading indicator of heart diseases. In additional, fibers and antioxidants, two types of essential nutrients that help to body to fight diseases can only be found exclusively in plant-based foods. Undigested fibers help to cleanse nasty chemicals from our intestines. Antioxidants which give fruits and vegetables the attractive bright colors help us to build shields against Free radicals that are harmful to our body. Fibers and antioxidants are essential to our good health!
Therefore, you can see that plant-based foods contain more essential nutrients than animal-based foods and do not cause harm to our body. Plant-based foods are definitely a healthier choice.
Question #4: Are you a vegan by eating only plant-based foods ?
One interesting point to note is that consuming exclusively plant-based foods does not make one automatically a vegan. Consuming exclusively plant-based foods is only one aspect of living a vegan lifestyle. Beyond food, a vegan also abstains from using any form of animal-based products and lives in a way that restrain from harming any animals. So, don’t call yourself a vegan if you have just switched to eat plant-based foods. Not yet. Nevertheless, consuming plant-based foods for health reason is a good start to help to transform our world to be more harmonious and sustainable.
Thank you. I hope you find the information helpful.
Soo Liang