Paging Dr. Frischer: Plant-Based Diets
Today’s column may seem obvious, but let’s go for it anyway. Why is it better to eat fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, then, say, a fast-food burger? So many of us continue to ignore well-proven science; is it simply because we love the taste of meat and dairy? Does a plant-based diet require a huge amount of effort and discipline? Have the benefits not been sufficiently proven?
My disclaimer: I do not follow a strict vegan or a vegetarian diet, but I do strive to follow many of the principles. In my opinion, and this column does indeed have my name at the top, there are enormous health benefits to even using these standards as guidelines. My goal is to follow a plant-based diet, where I don’t eliminate animal products altogether, but I do focus on vegan and vegetarian principles.
The term vegan was first used in 1944 by an English animal rights advocate. At this point, most vegans were motivated by ethical reasons. The movement eventually expanded beyond ethics and animal welfare to include health and environmental concerns. In the 1980’s, the term “plant-based diet” was introduced, to define a low fat, high fiber, vegetable-based diet that focused on health.
A vegan diet excludes all animal-derived foods. A vegetarian diet might include eggs, cheese, and dairy. What remains acceptable to all includes fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Beyond the ethical and environmental issues, how is eating a plant-based diet good for our health? Highly respected studies clearly show that compared to diets high in meat and other animal products, the benefits of plant-based diets include lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and many cancers.
It can be hard to give up some of our favorite less healthful foods, but an ever-growing selection of plant-based options is showing up in grocery stores and on restaurant menus, and even at fast-food chains! As stated by a gifted young vegan chef, restaurant owner, and leader in the field, Chloe Coscarelli, it is better to be a part-time vegan than not at all. Let’s not try to fit into one category. Here are some options:
· Vegan – entirely plant-based, excluding eggs, meat, fish, poultry, cheese and other dairy, honey, and any other product coming from an animal.
· Vegetarian – a plant-based diet that includes dairy and eggs.
· Flexitarian – a vegetarian or vegan diet that sometimes includes meat or fish, but mostly sticks to plant-based foods.
Is it necessary to eat meat and dairy to get enough protein? Consider some other sources of protein: tofu, edamame, quinoa and other seeds, sorghum, lentils, chickpeas, most beans, legumes, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, corn, peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, and turnip greens.
Innovative chefs like Chloe Coscarelli bring to the world delicious and nutritious vegan foods. Success follows her because the facts support her. My recommendation is that we all become at least part-time plant-based eaters. From there, we can see how far we wish to go. Science supports us!
Dr. Alan Frischer is former chief of staff and former chief of medicine at Downey Regional Medical Center. Write to him in care of this newspaper at 10927 Downey Ave., Suite C, Downey, CA 90241.