Nutrition: Blog 2

In general, a plant-based diet provides many health benefits to people. Firstly, eating a lot of vegetables and fruits can reduce coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and promotes longevity, and maintains good health at the same time. (McManus, 2020). Above all, a vegan diet tends to depend on fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds, and these provide a variety of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, healthy fats, and proteins, and are high in phytonutrients and low in saturated fat. Next, many animal foods are high in fat and calories, so replacing them with low-calorie plant foods can help people manage their weight and have a low body mass index (BMI); this reduces the risk of obesity in people and allows them to maintain an adequate weight (Sissons, 2019). Thirdly, Plant-based foods have a huge impact on mood and mental health because the diet is related to the health of the gut bacteria that produce many hormones that work in the brain. The gut bacteria that thrive in fiber are found only in whole plant foods, so it's no surprise that a plant-based diet can benefit your mental health; People with plant-based diets have relatively low levels of depression and anxiety and have high levels of mental health, well-being, and work productivity (Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, 2020). In addition to health benefits, a plant-based diet has many advantages over animal-based diets in terms of environment, cost, and ethics. Firstly, plant-based diets make a very positive contribution to the environment (planet). If people give up or cut back on meat and dairy products, the planet could be saved from thousands of tons of carbon emissions, artificial greenhouse gases, and many other environmental problems; in fact, the livestock industry generates as much carbon as the entire transport sector in a year, uses more than 50% of fresh water, and causes many environmental problems, including artificial greenhouse gases (Hunnes, 2021). Thus, the transition to a plant-based diet will reduce carbon emissions, water use, and greenhouse gas use, which could lead to a reduction in direct and indirect threats to the planet's health and habitability to us, all wildlife and plants and animals (Hunnes, 2021). Secondly, the plant-based diet is easy to adjust the menu according to the change of the season and the flow of nature. The seasonal menu is easy to find and the price is reasonable, so it is economically profitable by actively using fresh seasonal ingredients (Eco Peanut, 2021). In contrast, meat is expensive because it requires a lot of resources, energy, and labor in the stages of production, processing, and transportation. Plant-based ingredients are grown close to where seasonal produce is sold, thereby reducing the wasted costs associated with labor and long-distance transportation. Specifically, actively using local products is a very beneficial decision both in terms of environment (planet) and cost (profit); this is a factor that is very economical for us in terms of cost, reduces environmental pollution, and protects the planet. In other words, localization of the supply chain by the Farm-to-Table movement not only benefits local farmers but can significantly reduce environmental pollution and costs associated with long-distance transportation. Moreover, customers can receive local ingredients conveniently, freshly, and reliably. Finally, an animal-based diet negatively affects the welfare of animals in terms of ethics; animal-based diets do not consider the welfare of animals at all, so many animals are being abused in harsh environments. For example, in insufficient cramped chicken coops, closed spaces with no natural light, and dirty manure handling environments, many animals are still confined, which causes disease, so farmers are using antibiotics at high prices; osteoporosis and salmonella are one of the most common diseases found on poultry factory farms, and many animals are dying from heart attacks and swollen hearts (Eco Peanut, 2021). Therefore, there is a need to improve the animal's environment by switching to a diet of plant-based substitutes that can provide similar nutrients instead of meat; the daily protein intake including vitamin B12 for humans is also available from vegetables and a plant-based diet contains all the nutrients our body needs to be healthy and strong. For instance, people can get enough calcium from fruits and vegetables such as oranges, tangerines, kiwis, kale, rockets, and spinach and can be obtained iron from lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, and potatoes (Better Health Channel, 2020).