Plant-based foods are part of the organic living movement that has made waves in the past decade. However, were you aware that this lifestyle can do amazing things to increase your lifespan? This article will take a closer look at how plant-based foods can help your live longer and will showcase all of the numerous benefits that they can provide. We will also examine what steps you can take if you want to start living a plant-based lifestyle.
A study conducted in 2012 of 96,000 American and Canadian Seventh-Day Adventists conducted by Loma Linda University and unveiled by Gary E. Fraser at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2012 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo showed that “Vegetarian Adventist men live to an average of 83.3 years and vegetarian women 85.7 years — 9.5 and 6.1 years, respectively, longer than other Californians.” Seventh-Day Adventists were the studied group because they promote vegetarianism and discourage drinking, smoking and drug use. This made them the perfect subjects to help determine if plant-based foods can help you live longer, and the results seem to lend credence to this.
Now if this study is to be believed, why do vegetarians and those that eat plant-based foods have such a longer lifespan? One reason could be that heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Eating fewer meats and fatty foods would dramatically decrease the chances of contracting heart disease, because all of the fatty acids and glucose can clog your arteries, preventing blood from reaching the heart and vital organs at a normal pace. Eating that kind of food can also lead to less cardio and stamina, as well as diabetes and higher cholesterol.
Plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, do a fantastic job of putting your mind and body in harmony. They can give you more energy throughout the day, and the satisfaction of knowing that what you are putting inside your body comes from the natural earth, and not processed in a factory or through a deep fryer.
Now that we have looked at how plant-based foods can help you live longer, as well as some of their benefits, what can you do to make these foods a part of your life? If you would like to know more, a good start would be to head down to your local farmer’s market. The farmers and workers there will do a great job of helping you figure out which foods are in season, which can be economically feasible for your budget, and what you will enjoy! Another step that you can take is creating a garden in your own backyard. That feeling of eating a fresh tomato, putting homegrown herbs on a salad, or enjoying all natural orange juice is an incredible sensation.
I hope that this article has shown you the reasons that plant-based foods can become a vital part of your refrigerator, and how a plant-based lifestyle can help to increase your lifespan. We only have so many years on this planet, it is wise to use them as best as we can, and eating fresh fruits, and vegetables can be an excellent way to do this!