Health Benefits Of Plant-Based Diet For Over 50s

Individuals that follow a plant-based diet do not eat red meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, or animal by-products. Instead, their diet consists mainly of fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, and all the weird and wonderful food that grows from the ground.

There are various reasons for ditching animal products: animal welfare, desire to be more environmentally-conscious, or solely for personal health.

As long as you check with your doctor first, monitor whether you’re getting sufficient vitamins and minerals, and are aware of potential deficiencies that occur as a result of a poor diet, then you can easily ditch animal products in later life. If you need some more convincing, we’ve summarised a few reasons why the plant-based diet could be an excellent choice for anyone over 50.

All it takes is some research and planning to adopt a plant-based diet that provides you with all of the nutrients needed for a healthy body. You’ll inevitably consume more fruit and vegetables when going plant-based and so getting your minimum five a day will be much easier. At the moment, plant-based processed foods are not quite as common as non-vegan processed foods, which hopefully means that your diet will be high in healthy whole foods!

As our bodies age, we need to change our nutritional needs accordingly to make sure that we live long and healthy lives. For example, older adults need to look after their bone health, which means making sure they’re getting sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Calcium-rich plant foods include fortified plant milk and tofu. Foods rich in Vitamin D include shiitake and oyster mushrooms, and fortified plant milk, but you can get a healthy dose from being exposed to sunlight, too. For those living in the UK, taking a vitamin D supplement during the colder months is recommended (this goes for non-vegans also).

One of the essential supplements to take while eating a plant-based diet is B12. Although soil and plants can contain vitamin B12, due to modern hygiene practices, most of it is lost once it reaches the supermarket shelves.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide; however, following a healthy balanced diet can be a great way of lowering your risk. Research suggests that our lifestyle and environment account for 90–95% of our most chronic illnesses, meaning that we can alter how we live to reduce our chances of disease and sickness. To reduce the risk of cancer, make sure to maintain a healthy body weight, exercise regularly, avoid tobacco, limit alcohol and processed foods, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and protect yourself from the sun.

So you might be wondering, what exactly makes a plant-based diet so good at preventing cancer? It’s because plant foods are high in antioxidants which boost your immune system and protect you from cancer cells. Due to being high in fibre and low in calories, a diet free of animal products may help you achieve a healthier weight which will lower the likelihood of you developing certain cancers.

Following a plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease because it’s a diet that’s high in foods that are good for the heart, for example, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, etc. The plant-based diet is also low in saturated fats, which helps in keeping cholesterol levels low and thus lowering the risk of health issues such as heart disease.

Unfortunately, improving heart health isn’t as simple as cutting animal products out of your diet. There are still vegan-friendly processed foods that you should limit your intake of, such as refined grains.

People who follow a plant-based diet might live longer than those who don’t, and you might be surprised to know that there’s research out there to support this. For example, a study concluded that vegetarians and vegans have a 9% lower risk of death when compared to omnivores. Another study monitored health and diet records of more than 130,000 individual’s and found that every 3% increase in calories from plant protein reduced the risk of death by 10%

It’s more than likely that vegans live longer because their whole foods-based diet reduces the possibility of developing health issues such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. And as we all know, a healthy, balanced diet is known to be vital in leading a long, happy life; it’s just about finding the perfect one that agrees with your body and its unique needs.