Flexitarian Diet Series - Effects of Flexitarian Diet
Consuming flexitarian diet may have multiple health benefits and advantages. However since there are no proper rules and regulations, it is difficult to determine the actual application. For a normal individual, it can be challenging to know how and why the mentioned benefits of other plant-based diets integrate with the flexitarian diet.
Still, research regarding vegetarian and vegan diets is still supportive in highlighting major positive points of taking semi-vegetarian dietary products.
It seems essential and important to consume vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains with a limited number of processed foods. However, decreasing meat components can bring refined outcomes to your personality. If you are decreasing the sugar and salt content from your diet, the flexitarian advantages will improvise even more.
1. Weight Loss
The Jackson Blatner flexitarian diet is responsible for shedding off pounds. It may also be effective for decreasing your waistline.
The reason why you can lose a lot of weight with this diet routine is because your calorie intake is limited. You will not be taking any processed foods and consuming more plant-based products which may cause additional weight loss.
According to the information provided in studies of more than 1200 people, any form of vegetable diet is optimal enough. People who ate a vegetable-linked diet for more than 15 weeks lost 2 kg (4.5 pounds) more as compared to those who followed mixed diets.
Since the flexitarian diet is more like a vegetarian diet as compared to the vegan diet, it can help with permanent weight loss. With an estimated water consumption and workout routine, you can derive useful benefits of complete vegetarian plans.
2. Heart Disease
Food components that are rich in healthy fats and fiber are better for the health of cardiovascular system. According to a research outlining 45,000 adults for 11 years, vegetarians are 32% less likely to go through a heart abnormality, as compared to non-vegetarians.
This is possibly because of the fact that vegetable-based regimes are rich in vitamins and fibrous constituents. These also contain anti-oxidants that may increase the good cholesterol level and amount of antioxidants present in the blood.
According to the review of 32 researches on the effect of vegetarian diets on blood pressure, vegetarians had a balanced value of blood pressure. The systolic value was sometimes lower than the individuals who consumed meat products.
Since these studies exclusively involved vegetarian diets, it is feasible to mention that the flexitarian diet plan would have similar outcomes on the blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
3. Diabetes
Diabetes type 1 and 2 are considered to be detrimental and life-threatening across the globe. The condition is a global health pandemic. Consuming a balanced, healthy diet, particularly the one which is plant-based can manage and prevent this disease.
In most of the cases, plant-based diet recipes and routines help with weight loss and contain multiple elements that are high in fiber. Individuals consuming plants and herbs do not take unhealthy fats and unnecessary sugar. This decreased amount of sugar in the body automatically reduces the risk of diabetes.
According to a research involving 60,000 participants, the occurrence of diabetes type 2 was 1.5% lower in flexitarians or semi-vegetarians as compared to the people who followed vegan diet.
Additional research has highlighted that people with diabetes type 2 who consumed vegetable-based foods had a lower value of hemoglobin A1c as compared to those who consumed meat-based foods.
4. Cancer
The flexitarian diet recipes include vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, legumes, and whole grains which are packed with nutrients and antioxidants. Antioxidants are active elements which bring about prevention from all types of cancers.
According to the information in different studies, vegetable-based diets have a positive impact. They work particularly well for decreasing the prevalence of all types of cancers. The flexitarian diet is particularly useful for colorectal cancer.
Another 7-year research on patients of colorectal cancer patients found positive evidence of the diet. It mentioned that semi-vegetarians were less prone to get this type of cancer, as compared to non-vegetarians. For this reason, an incorporation of vegetables, fruits and similar substances may serve as a preventive factor.
5. Increased Immunity
One of the most important aspects of flexitarian diet recipes is that you will take more nutrient-rich food products. Foods products that contain a little bit of everything for a relatively smaller amount of calories increase the production of white blood cells. These structures are vital to fight off common colds and other diseases.
Studies have established that the flexitarian diet recipes have an additional amount of vitamin C and lower amounts of fats. Consuming a low-fat diet can also be supportive and help strengthen defensive systems of the body. Studies also mention that an excess amount of fat may damage function of white blood cells.
The flexitarian diet plan maintains a normal weight which can increase immunity. Obesity and malnutrition has positive links with diseases such as pneumonia and influenza. Following the flexitarian diet plan will save you from these troubles, without adding extra calories for your metabolism.
6. Affordability
Although there is variation in the amount of money people spend on food products, flexitarian recipes do not have any special ingredients. The organic and all-natural components are easy to find and relatively cheaper.
If you prepare most of your meals with meat, it is a possibility that you will end up saving money. You will have to prepare the recipes using vegetables, grains, and low amounts of fats which are cost-effective.
Several studies have backed up the estimations too. They have indicated that the flexitarian diet can save up to $750 every year on food. Being a flexitarian, your savings will not be as much as any other diets. But you will still manage on a budget.
7. Additional Benefits
The flexitarian diet can be positive and beneficial for the environment as well. Decreasing the meat consumption can significantly assist with the conservation of natural resources. By reducing greenhouse effect and carbon emissions, this diet plan can have an essential support for the surroundings. It can also preserve land and water that is being cut down for globalization in the present world.
A study review on the sustainability of vegetable-based diets found multiple advantages of the Jackson Blatner flexitarian diet. It mentioned that shifting from the conventional western diet to flexitarian routine, where meat portions are limited, could possibly decrease harmful emissions by 7%.
Following the flexitarian diet plan will also ensure that more land is reserved for growth of vegetables and fruits for humans. Presently, the land is devoted as feed for livestock which can change for good. Growing plants asks for a limited number of resources as compared to raising animals for nutrition purposes. As a matter of fact, growing plant protein utilizes noticeably less energy as compared to producing animal protein.