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According to the researchers at injuryfacts.nsc.org, heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. Obesity and obesity-related illnesses are at an all-time high here the United States due to poor diet and low physical activity rates. According to the CDC, obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease are occurring at higher rates than ever. The conditions that are killing the most people are preventable illnesses that we can successfully maintain by implementing changes in diet and physical activity.
We will be focusing on one specific dietary change that has been observed to be one of the most beneficial diets for the human body. I will be discussing the changes that the body begins to go through when it is put on a plant-based diet.
There is a seemingly endless amount of research showing the health benefits that the body experiences when a plant-based diet is implemented. Due to the high volume of information about all of these bodily changes, I will only be including a small list of health benefits and changes that the body begins to go through.
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I will be touching on a few different studies that discuss physiological reactions that occur internally once a person makes this dietary switch. A summarization of research material that discusses different health improvements such as the increase in healthy bacterial species in the gut, the clearing of clogged arteries and increased blood flow, the decrease in inflammation, the dropping of high blood sugar and high cholesterol levels, the decrease in the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, the decrease in concentration levels of intramyocellular lipids, and the increase in higher testosterone levels in men will be included.
Research has shown that switching to a planted-based diet from an omnivorous diet reduces the presence of harmful bacterial while at the same time, promoting the presence of beneficial bacteria.
Researchers have been exploring the linkage between bacterial presence in the gut and it influence on overall health and disease prevention. In The Health Advantage of a Vegan Diet: Exploring the Gut Microbiota Connection which was published in 2014, Marian Glick-Bauer and Ming-Chin Yeh found that bacteria that appear in the gut of vegans was very different from that in omnivores. People on a plant-based diet showed a smaller amount of pathobionts such as Enterobacteriaceae, which promote the occurrence of inflammatory conditions (p. 4832). One result of higher levels of inflammation is that it can hinder insulin signaling which can cause metabolic dysfunction (p. 4831). Also, people on a plant-based diet shower higher amounts of beneficial bacterias that protect the gut such as F. prausnitzii (p. 4932). This bacterial species was shown to lower levels of inflammation which has been shown to be associated with better overall health (p. 4832).
This research shows that the presence of this species is inked with higher intakes of dietary fiber and lowers the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, and obesity (p. 4829). People who switched from an omnivorous diet to a vegan diet showed changes in their guts’ microbiome in as little as 24 hours (p. 4828). However, long term vegan diet usage is where considerably more drastic beneficial changes in the microbiome can be seen (p. 4828). The consumption of plant foods has been shown to promote the presence of a wide range of intestinal flora and higher levels of Prevotella than Bacteroides. (p. 4828). Obese subjects in this study showed a lower level of bacterial diversity in the gut while also showing higher levels of harmful bacterial species that promote inflammation (p. 4829). Also in this study people who switched over to an vegan diet showed a decrease in body weight, resulting in the showing of the direct relationship between veganism a decrease in inflammation (p. 4830). Not only did this research explore the difference between the microbiome in the guts of vegans and omnivores, it also showed a comparison between the microbiome of vegans and vegetarians (p. 4830).
The findings of this research showed that a vegan diet is a step up from a vegetarian diet which is a step up from an omnivorous diet (p. 4826). Vegans had higher levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii than vegetarians did This bacteria has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties (p. 4827). In the research of Ghanim et al. (2009) titled Increase in Plasma Endotoxin Concentrations and the Expression of Toll-Like Receptors and Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling-3 in Mononuclear Cells After a High-Fat, High-Carbohydrate Meal, researchers found that 2 hours after eating a sausage and egg muffin, inflammation in the body dramatically increased (p. 2286). Glick-Bauer and Ming-Chin Yeh also found that the high levels of the advantageous bacteria found in the microbiome of the vegan gut is all thanks to the high fiber intake that is inevitable when eating a plant-based diet (p. 4829). Their research also found that consuming large amount of fiber lowers the risk of pathogen survival in the gut (p. 4829). It was also found that the consumption of red meat trigger the production of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) (p. 4830). TMAO has been shown to cause the appearance of atherosclerosis (p. 4930). The production of is determined by the microbiome of the gut and the presence of TMAO was not found in the microbiome of the vegan gut (p. 4930).
The research of B. Esselstyn et al (2014) titled A Way to Reverse CAD? explores the idea that a plant-based diet can clear clogged arteries and reverse coronary artery disease (p. 356). Esselstyn et al. explain the cause of coronary artery disease being animal products and highly processed foods; these foods cause plaque to become present in the arteries which can cause a stroke to occur possibly leading to death (p. 356). The health of endothelial cells is crucial in vascular health, also the impediment of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase is responsible for the constriction of arteries (p. 356). This research claims that the only effective way to treat and even cure coronary artery disease is to switch to a plant-based diet (p. 356). first, in a study on a small group of subjects veganism was shown to stop and reverse coronary artery disease, but the results of this study was criticized by experts due to the fact that the group of subjects was so small.
Esselstyn et al. decided to do another study with a larger group consisting of 198 subjects who were all previously diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, in order to prove that they would get the same results (p. 356). 89% of the subjects actually followed the plant-based diet that they were prescribed and out of those subjects, 62% of them experienced dangerous cardiac events (p. 356). Out of the 177 subjects that did follow their prescribed plant-based diet only one person experienced at stroke, which comes out to .6% (p. 356). Of these 177 subjects 89% of them saw either an improvement or a complete end to their symptoms (p. 359). Of these patients, they were able to maintain a plant-based diet for an average of 3.7 years (p. 360). As a bonus patients were not only able to improve their symptoms, they also saw a significant amount of weight loss. On average, subjects lost about 18.7 lbs. In this study the topic of TMAO also emerged. It was found that the gut of the adherent subjects did not show a presence of TMAO which is a very damaging species of bacterial only found in the gut of omnivores (p. 362).
It is believed that food is the greatest determining factor in whether or not a disease will occur (p. 362). All of the vegan subjects, according to PET scans, saw an improvement in vascular health in as little as 3 weeks (p. 362). These results suggest that switching to a vegan diet allow endothelial cells to recover from the damage that an omnivorous diet causes (p. 362). Endothelial tissue is able to heal itself and is able to produce nitric oxide effectively again (p. 362). Damaged endothelial cells produce endothelin and thromboxane which have vasoconstricting properties (p. 362). A plant-based diet also has shown to decrease the chances of developing a resistance to insulin found in type II diabetes (p. 362). Another important factor to note is that these subjects were not given any instructions to do anything other than change their diets; they were not required to perform any form of exercise or meditation (p. 362). All of their health improvements were caused by simply switching to a plant-based diet.
In Kahleova's et al. (2018) research titled A Plant-Based Dietary Intervention Improves Beta-Cell Function and Insulin Resistance in Overweight Adults: A 16 Week Randomized Clinical Trial, the goal was to observe how a plant-based diet effects beta-cell function in adults who are overweight but do not have a history of diabetes (p. 1). A random selection of 75 subjects were chosen and asked to consume a low-fat vegan diet for a total of 16 weeks (p.1). Damage to pancreatic beta-cells caused by poor diet choices are a key component in the beginning stages of insulin resistance in type II diabetes (p. 1). Repairing damaged beta-cells is not a part of the conventional treatment of type II diabetes even though that is what would be the most helpful and beneficial route for patients; the main goal is usually to simply manage the symptoms of type II diabetes (p. 1). According to Kahleova et al. it has become apparent that the occurrence of diabetes is 46-74% lower in vegans, compared to omnivores (p. 2). Eating plant-based has also been proven to improve blood sugar management in patients with type II diabetes (p. 2). It’s been shown to be even more effective than the more popularly recommended hypocaloric, carbohydrate-controlled diet where people are required to eat less calories than they are burning off throughout the day and decrease their intake of carbohydrates (p. 2). The subjects randomly selected to participate in the Kahleova et al. study were men and women between the ages of 25-75 years old weighing between 28-40 kg/ (p. 2).
The subjects were split into two groups, a control group and an intervention group; the control group made no changes whatsoever to their current diets, while the intervention group was required to consume a fully plant-based diet consisting of 75% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 10% fat (p. 2). The intervention group experienced a notable decrease in body mass index compared to the control group that did not experience this change (p. 6) . According to the results of this study, for adults who are overweight, switching over to a plant-based diet from an omnivorous diet can improve the health and functionality of beta-cells and can result in a significantly decreased chance of developing type II diabetes (p. 7). The control group was required to take a meal test in order to measure blood sugar levels after consuming a meal; this test resulted in elevated blood sugar levels (p. 7). The participant’s beta-cells also showed no signs of damage-reversal as a result of high blood sugar levels (p. 7). Also as a result of high blood sugar levels, the control group showed an increase on insulin resistance (p. 7).
It’s surprising to see how much damage was done to the control group’s overall health in just the course of this 16-week study, considering the fact that they did not change their diet or physical activity routines whatsoever. These results indicate that if the control group does not make changes to their lifestyle they are definitely on their way to developing type II diabetes (p. 7). The intervention group participants were also required to take a meal test and their result were quite different than the control group’s results. The intervention group showed notable improvements to glucose sensitivity, insulin sensitivity, and blood sugar levels; quite the opposite of the control group (p. 7). The conclusion that researchers made during this study while considering the results of other similar studies is that a low-fat plant-based diet can in fact reduce insulin resistance and reverse damage to beta-cells (p.7). Also, people who are overweight who switch to a plant-based diet can expect to see their cholesterol levels decrease and some weight loss (p. 8).
According to LM Goff’s at al. (2005) study, Veganism and its Relationship with insulin resistance and intramyocellular lipid had the purpose of determining whether there is evidence to show that a plant-based diet can reduce sensitivity to insulin and decrease intramyocellular lipid storage (p. 291). Resistance tp insulin has been linked to the development of both type II diabetes and coronary heart disease which as discussed earlier is the number one killer in the United States claiming countless victims (p. 291). High levels of intramyocellular lipid storage is one of the main factors in developing a resistance to insulin, especially in children and young adults who are displaying signs of prediabetes (p. 291). As discussed in the last paragraph, this study also suggests that there is a link between a reduction of beta-cell function and the contraction of type II diabetes (p. 291). The information in this study suggests that the consumption of a diet that is dense in saturated fatty acids in very harmful to beta-cells and a huge contributing factor to insulin resistance (p. 292).
Also, contrary to popular belief, some carbohydrates have been shown to improve beta-cell function and intramyocellular lipid storage (p. 292). In this study 24 vegan subjects were observed; 12 of them were women and 12 of them were men (p. 292). The participants had all been eating plant-based for a minimum of 3 years before the study had taken place (p. 292). An additional 24 omnivorous subjects were observed; each on matched the gender, age, ethnicity, and body mass index of the people from the vegan group (p. 292). Each subject was given anthropometry assessment, an insulin sensitivity assessment, a fasting lipid profile assessment, a dietary assessment, a physical activity assessment, and a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (p. 292). The results of the anthropometry assessment showed that vegans had lower blood pressure levels than omnivores (p. 293). The plant-based participants showed low levels of cholesterol and higher function of beta-cells (p. 295). Intramyocellular lipid storage was also much lower in the vegan participants that it was in the omnivorous participants (p. 295). The conclusion of LM Goff’s at al. research is that a vegan diet is very beneficial to cardiac health and beta-cell health (p. 295).
NE Allen’s et al. (2000) study titled Hormones and Diet: Low Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I but Normal Bioavailable Androgens in Vegan Men, explores the possibility that men that consume a plant-based diet have higher levels of testosterone than both omnivorous and vegetarian men (p. 95). It has been shown that a standard western diet poses a large risk to mens’ health and increases their chances of developing prostate cancer (p. 95). A standard western diet causes androgen concentration to rise in the serum and prostate which had been shown to be one of the reasons that men develop this disease (p. 95). Also, high levels of insulin-like growth factor-I have been observed in men who have succumbed to prostate cancer (p. 95). Allen’s et al. research included the participation of 696 men with no prior history of cancer; 226 men were omnivores, 237 were vegetarians, and 233 were vegans (p. 95). In order to be a participant, it was required that the men were not on any kind of medication that would affect hormone levels and had an adequate amount of serum which the liquid in blood that contains proteins, hormones, antigens, and antibodies (p. 95).
After examining all of the men, it was revealed that vegan men, on average, had lower body mass indexes than both vegetarian and omnivorous men did on average (p. 96). Examinations also revealed that vegans had lower saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid consumption levels, which are fats that are damaging, and higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption levels, which are fats that are beneficial (p. 96). The results of Allen’s et al. study showed that men on a plant-based diet had testosterone levels that were 16% higher than that of omnivorous men and 12% high than that of vegetarian men (p. 96). This research also yielded results showing that vegan men had Insulin-like growth factor-I levels 9% lower than that of omnivores men and 8% lower than that of vegetarian men (p. 97). Not to mention, this study also showed vegan men to have cholesterol level 17% lower than that of omnivorous men and 10% lower than that of vegetarian men (p. 97).
These low levels of cholesterol in people on a plant-based diet that we’ve seen repeatedly in studies preciously mentioned, are due to the fact that humans only consume dietary cholesterol when they eat animal products; plant foods do not contain any cholesterol, therefore, vegans never consume dietary cholesterol. It has been proven that in general, men who have contracted prostate cancer, have Insulin-like growth factor-I levels that are higher than men who have not contracted prostate cancer by an average of 8% (p. 97). This is evidence leads researchers to believe that the 9% lower Insulin-like growth factor-I levels in vegan men observed in this study is a substantial amount that could be a major factor in reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer (p. 97). It has also been discovered that the risk of developing prostate cancer is not outstandingly lower amongst vegetarian men versus omnivorous men suggesting that in some aspects, a vegetarian diet is not significantly more healthy than an omnivorous diet contrary to popular belief (p. 97).
In conclusion, according to the research previously discussed, a plant-based diet is significantly more beneficial to people’s health than an omnivorous diet and even a vegetarian diet. We explored the health improvements associated with switching to a plant-based diet such as the increase in healthy bacterial species in the gut, the clearing of clogged arteries and increased blood flow, the decrease in inflammation, the dropping of high blood sugar and high cholesterol levels, the decrease in the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, the decrease in concentration levels of intramyocellular lipids, and the increase in higher testosterone levels in men. Considering the fact that the number one killer in the United States, heart disease, is highly preventable more people should consider taking this unconventional step towards preventing and reversing this illness.
Effects of a Plant-Based Diet on the Body . (2021, Dec 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/effects-of-a-plant-based-diet-on-the-body-essay
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