6 Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet (Health, the Environment & More)

When I started my plant-based journey, I did it for my own health but discovered some of these other great benefits down the road.

In this post, I will examine some benefits of the Plant-Based Diet, with six of the strongest benefits I have found.

Here they are!

Plant-Based Diet Improves Our Health

The first point is that our health is improved by eating a whole food plant-based diet.  Research has found that the regions of people who live the longest and have lower rates of chronic disease, typically eat plant-based diets.  (These regions are known as the Blue Zones)

Also, Dr. Colin Campbell studied the effects of animal protein and raising the rates of cancer, as well as other diseases.  His work is published in the China Study.

But it’s not just that we are avoiding harmful foods by eating plant-based, we are also getting more good foods that further improve our body’s health.  Fruits and vegetables and other plant-based foods like whole grains and beans contain antioxidants that fight off free radicals and disease in the body.   See: Increased antioxidant levels of vegetarians compared to omnivores.

Another benefit is the increase of fiber that we get by eating plant-based.  Fiber is highly underrated and has been found to be deficient in 95% of Americans’ diets.  Fiber helps to remove toxins from the body, fights disease, and also helps to fuel good bacteria in our body’s microbiome and gut.

For more ways to get fiber, see 15 Steps to WFPBD.

A plant-based diet can also improve heart health. This cardiologist has found all the research in the field of cardiology, points to a plant-based diet being the best way to eat for heart health!

The Plant-Based Diet Helps Save Money

If you are looking to save a little bit of money on your grocery bills, the plant-based diet might help.

Although not the case for every single food, there are a lot of plant-based foods that can be much cheaper than meat or animal products.

Some examples of inexpensive plant-based whole foods are:

• Dry beans
• Oatmeal
• Bananas
• Cereal
• Brown Rice
• Nuts
• Peanut Butter
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil

Generally, these foods provide much more calories for the same price than animal-based alternatives.

A Plant-Based Diet Can Benefit Athletes

There have been a lot of athletes who have come on the scene recently sporting a new plant-based or vegan diet.  These athletes have all claimed that a plant-based diet has lowered their inflammation levels, improved their recoveries, and helped them to perform their best ever.

These include famous athletes such as Venus and Serena Williams, Tom Brady, U.S. women Olympians, Cam Newton, NFL and NBA stars, and many more.

This is not farfetched.  Science has shown that a plant-based diet can improve athletic performance, especially for endurance-type athletes, who receive the most benefit.

This is because the large amounts of antioxidants that are found in plant-based foods help to remove the free radicals that are caused by the stress of exercise on the body.  Thus, the athletes are able to recover faster.

(See How to Become a Vegan Athlete to learn how to transition)

The Plant-Based Diet is Better for Animals

Factory farming has become a major issue in recent decades.  The cruelty to animals and some of the findings of what happens in these environments are very disturbing.

By eating plant-based, you can help to free animals from some of these cruelties, and spare animals’ lives at the same time.

This is true for the meat industry as well as the dairy industry.

A Plant-Based Diet May Help with Epidemics

Another bad result of factory farming is the increased risk of epidemics and pandemics.

Many public health officials have been saying that factory farms are one of our biggest threats in modern society.  Yet, nobody is really aware of this danger.

The problem is that so many animals are unnaturally confined into areas where disease can quickly spread amongst them, and then to humans as a result.  Many of the past epidemics that have been growing in increasing numbers in the past decades are spread from animal to human, and maybe results from some type of farming practice, or the consumption of animals.

Another problem has to do with antibiotics that are used.  This can eventually lead to superbugs that are resistant to these antibiotics over time.

A Plant-based Diet Benefits the Environment

A plant-based diet can have tremendous positive effects on the environment.

Many of the modern-day greenhouse emissions come from cattle and other factory farming practices.  Not only that, but more trees and forests are cut down in order to accommodate these animal-product farms.  These practices also destroy the quality of the soil.

Trees and forests are important for the ecosystem.  Trees help to remove carbon gases from the air.  Also, at this rate, it is estimated that the soil of the world will be unable to grow crops anymore by 2060.

Trees also help to minimize natural disasters and storms, lessening their effects by absorbing much of the storms.

Another point is that much more energy and water are needed to raise a pound of beef or animal meat, compared to a pound of a plant-based crop.  The world is already experiencing water shortages.

Final Thoughts

As can see, these are my 6 top benefits of a plant-based diet.  These include:

• Better personal health
• Saving money on groceries
• Better performance for athletes
• Kindness to animals
• Protecting against pandemics
• Saving the environment

6 Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet (for Health, Athletes, Environment) Video