Many people weren’t exactly certain when they started their journey in veganism and plant-based nutrition that they were doing the right thing. All of us knew that it’s the most sustainable way of life with respect for the planet and the animals, but what about all these deficiencies and nutrients? Would it be good for our health as well? Would it support our immune system and prevent diseases? What about the pandemic? Is it safe in the times of Covid to go vegan? These are questions I had to answer many times as a dietitian specialized in autoimmune diseases and plant-based nutrition.
Thankfully, the past years the research is getting bigger and bigger and the benefits of a plant-based diet are more or less known by now, while I’m happy to see there are more and more findings that support our decision in every aspect, healthwise as well. Let’s take a look at 3 of the latest researches that are good to know.
Dairy and cancer
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provided new data on how sugar consumption affects cancer risk and what you will see will make you think twice about sprinkling parmesan on your pasta or buttering your bread. In the study, 101,000 participants participated in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study (2009-2019), while adjustments were made for known risk factors, including socio-demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, medical history and nutritional factors. Researchers have found an increased risk of cancer associated with higher sugar intake, especially in the form of added sugars and dairy sugars, which include milk, cheese, cream, ice cream and other dairy products. And as for the cheese that everyone loves so much, note that you can easily exceed the 3 servings a day, raising the sugars that could, according to the study, increase the risk of cancer. Clearly, dairy consumption can actually pave the way for future diseases, so a plant-based diet rich in a variety of whole foods is always a good choice, and avoiding dairy is a good idea, as soon as possible.
Plant-based diet and Covid-19
Recent commentary that was published in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a healthy plant-based diet can actually make a difference in the severity of Covid-19 and in mortality. It was associated with a 9% lower risk of Covid-19 infection and a 41% lower risk of serious disease. It has also been shown in a different study that those who were on a vegetarian diet and had significant exposure to patients with Covid-19 had a 73% lower risk of moderate to severe disease. At the same time, Okinawa in Japan, where people are known to live a long and healthy life, is a great example of the benefits of plant-based nutrition as far as Covid-19 is concerned. People in Okinawa eat mostly leafy greens, sweet potatoes, soy products and they present a much lower mortality rate than Tokyo. Another research from Physicians Committee showed that plant-based nutrition helped people working at a hospital in Washington D.C. have better health and quality of life during the first wave of the pandemic. Participants were monitored during a 12-week control phase, where they would get along with their normal diet, and during a 12-week intervention phase, where they would follow a plant-based diet low in fat, along with cooking demonstrations. During the plant-based phase of the study, researchers found that there were greater reductions in weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, while a better quality of life and satisfaction was noted during this phase, despite workplace stresses and the stress of the pandemic. As Dr. Neil Barnard has noted, vaccines should be combined with a plant-based nutrition in order to fight Covid-19.
Vegan diet and migraines
Many people that have visited me for professional help, as well as cases reported from the UK Plant-based Health Professionals I work with, have seen drastic improvements in migraines following a whole-plant-based diet, and this is certainly no coincidence. In a specific case report, a 60-year-old patient relied on anti-migraine drugs for 12 years, but within just 3 months of a plant-based diet, with an emphasis on dark green vegetables, the migraines subsided and he has been without drugs for 7.5 years. The reason that a plant-based diet can be beneficial in cases of migraines is because it reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, mechanisms that are thought to be involved in the occurrence of migraine disorders. There is also a randomized crossover trial with a low-fat plant-based diet by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which reports a reduction in pain and migraine duration, as well as the need for painkillers.
Resources
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/112/5/1267/5906559
https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/omicron-variant-surges-plant-based-diet-booster-fighting-severe-covid-19-say
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-022-01082-w
https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/new-study-during-covid-19-pandemic-hospital-workers-improved-heart-health-and
https://casereports.bmj.com/content/14/12/e243987
https://thejournalofheadacheandpain.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1129-2377-15-69
