Why I recommend a plant-based diet

A recent client asked me "Trisha, why do you prescribe a plant-based diet?  Of all the diets that exist, why this one?"

The answer is this… a whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet is the healthiest diet thats ever been scientifically studied (1).  It's the diet that can help you achieve optimal health and permanent weight-loss over the long-term.  Yeah for getting healthier and leaner every year without restricting how much you eat!

If the totality of research on a different diet was found to reverse severe heart disease, prevent cancer and help eliminate type II diabetes medications, then I would prescribe that diet!

No other diet has come close to getting the same results over the long-term.  

For example, Dr. Dean Ornish has reversed severe heart disease using diet and lifestyle alone in a 5 year study, while the control group that followed their doctor's advice showed heart disease progression (2).

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. has also reversed severe heart disease in a 12 year study using a plant-based diet and cholesterol lowering medication in some patients (3). 

Dr. Neal Barnard has done extensive research on a plant-based diet and type II diabetes showing in some cases, that type II diabetes can be reversed, meaning no more medication! (4).

In addition, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends a plant-based diet for the prevention of cancer (5).

All of these amazing results can be achieved without calorie counting, portion restriction or pushing the plate away making it manageable over the long-term.  A WFPB diet is not a crash, fad diet that you have no other choice but to stop after one month.  

If you'd like to learn more about the science behind a plant-based diet here are a few options...

  1. Watch Dr. Michael Greger's amazing video presentation called 'Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death'
  2. Receive my FREE resource guide with the best books and movies on the science of plant-based nutrition when you sign-up for my weekly email updates
  3. Read or browse my Master's thesis 'A review of plant-based nutrition interventions on heart disease, obesity and diabetes: suggestions for an educational curriculum.

Take Control Now Question

Why do you eat a plant-based diet? Or, have a question about the science behind a plant-based diet?

Answer by clicking 'comment' below.

References

  1. Campbell, TC. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition. Ben Bella, Texas. 2013.
  2. Ornish et al. Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary heart disease. JAMA. 1998 Dec 16; 280 (23): 2001-7.
  3. Esselstyn, CB. Updating a 12-year experience with arrest and reversal therapy for coronary heart disease (an overdue requiem for palliative cardiology). Am J Cardiol. 1999 Aug 1;84(3):339-41, A8. 
  4. Mishra, S., Xu, J., Agarwal, U., Gonzales, J., Levin, S. & Barnard, N.D. 2013b, "A multicenter randomized controlled trial of a plant-based nutrition program to reduce body weight and cardiovascular risk in the corporate setting: the GEICO study", European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 67, no. 7, pp. 718-724.
  5. The World Cancer Research Fund International.  Cancer Prevention Recommendations. Accessed online 2015 at http://www.wcrf.org/int/research-we-fund/our-cancer-prevention-recommendations