Planting an idea about plant-based diets
Only one in 10 Americans gets the recommended five daily servings of vegetables and fruit. (We think nine should be your real goal.) So, clearly urging folks to adopt a plant-based diet isn’t working. Well, the good news is that you don’t have to go full vegetarian to get the benefits! Maybe the latest research will inspire you to give a plant-forward diet a try.
A review in PLOS ONE of 48 published studies found that if you replace animal-based foods with plant-based foods, you can reduce your risks for cardiometabolic diseases and gastrointestinal and prostate cancer and have better blood pressure, blood sugar control, and a healthier weight. And last year, another major review found that substituting nuts, legumes and whole grains for processed and red meats extends your healthy lifespan. It makes your Realage/actualage at least two years younger.
But the PLOS study also cautions that a strictly plant-based diet can be low in important nutrients. The solution? Adding in fatty fish like salmon. They provide inflammation-fighting omega-3s and potassium for heart health — and wild salmon offers an extra dose of vitamin D, which boosts immune and bone strength. Other nutrients you cannot get from plants include B12 for nerve health (in fish and non-fat dairy), muscle-building creatine (in chicken and turkey), and the omega-3 DHA that’s found in fatty fish.
So, for a longer, healthier life, try a modified plant-based diet that includes skinless poultry and fatty fish. For more ways to thrive, visit Longevityplaybook.com to sign up for our newsletter.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to iherb.com, the world’s leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1’s).
King Features Syndicate