Diet is considering the meals containing a variety of foodstuffs instead of secluded food or nutrients. Intake of meals has accountability for complex interactions between nutrients and non-nutrients.

Why have plant-based food recommendations become highlighted?

Plant-based diet plans usually uplift whole, plant-based foods and dissuade refined and processed foods, meats, eggs, and even dairy products. Plant-based diets are considered a regimen in many folk medicinal practices may due to their contribution to the risk reduction of some chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases by promoting lower BMI, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and HbA1C. The consumption of a plant-based diet may also decrease the number of prescribed medications required to treat chronic medical conditions and reduce the incidence rate of ischemic heart disease and related mortality rates. Currently, many naturopathy doctors recommend a plant-based diet to their patients, primarily those with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or obesity. A plant-based diet has a chemo-preventive role in cancer development.

A healthy plant-based diet highlights nutrient-dense plant foods and subsequently decreases the intake of processed foods, oil, and animal-based foods (including dairy products, animal fats, and eggs). It encourages having plenty of fruits, raw or cooked vegetables, beans, whole grains, peas, legumes, lentils, soybeans, seeds, and nuts with low-fat content.

Different diet plans have already been established that limit or omit animal-based food items. But lack of a clear idea of these diet specifications often creates confusion among users. NitaNaturale has published this article to provide a transitory summary of distinctive diets that limit animal products. Multiple research findings agree that a plant-based diet has substantial health benefits.

What are the different types of plant-based diets?

The terms vegetarian and vegan are often used interchangeably for describing a plant-based diet. Both vegetarian and vegan diets have ethical or religious explanations that may or may not justify their health benefits. It is necessary to differentiate different plant-based diet plans by precisely defining them. Various plant-based diets are distinct because of the variety of compositions that also explains their health value.

• Vegan (or total vegetarian): Eliminates all animal foodstuffs, particularly meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and dairy products. This diet plan does not restrict to intake of whole foods or limit fat or refined grains.
• Raw food vegan: Same elimination as veganism and the rejection of all foodstuffs prepared at temperatures more than 118°F.
• Lacto-vegetarian Eliminates meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood but includes dairy products.
• Ovo-vegetarian Eliminates meat, poultry, seafood, and milk products but includes eggs.
• Lacto-Ovo vegetarian: Eliminates meat, poultry, and seafood and includes dairy products and eggs.
• Mediterranean: maximum inclusion of whole foods obtained from different plant sources and extensive use of fatty fish and olive oil with limited intake of dairy products, eggs, chicken, and red meat once or twice per month. This diet plant recognizes Omega-3 fatty acids-containing foods.
• Whole foods, plant-based, low-fat: Includes plant foods in their whole form, especially fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, and nuts (in lesser amounts). Animal foods are restricted with limited use of fat to obtain ultimate health assistance from this diet.

Healthy diet tips with multiple alternative options

It is essential to maintain the required calorie level. The appropriate calorie varies from individual to individual. The various factors which interfere with the calorie requirement are age, physical activity, and body weight. The required calorie can be maintained by proper consumption of mixed nutrients and should avoid fulfilling the calorie by taking a few high-calorie foods and beverages. These types of food habits do not provide adequate nutrients. They are usually the source of saturated fats, trans fats, triglycerides, or high glycemic index that increase the risk factors for several chronic diseases. For reference, Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health acknowledged that diet has undoubtedly provided an impact on cardiovascular disease.

The following dietary recommendations are preventive measures against various plaque-forming diseases like cardiac disorders, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and dementia.

1. Avoidance of simple carbohydrates which have a high glycemic index is essential to prevent the raising of blood sugar levels. Refined grain products such as white bread, pasta, wheat flour, and white rice are examples of simple carbs with high GI. Marked reduction is necessary for sugar and potato-rich foods. Replacement of simple carbohydrate products with complex carbohydrates like whole-grain foods, beans, and nuts is a smart step towards a healthy diet. Whole-grain foods can raise glucose levels very slowly because of the following interconnected reasons:

• metabolism takes time
• accelerated insulin secretion is not required
• the scope of insulin resistance is limited
• over activity of the pancreas is not required
• Prevent the damage in the beta cells from where the insulin is secreted
• All these limit type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. Reduction or elimination of animal fat consumption specifically beef, pork, and lamb from the diet is another good diet tip. But if anybody cannot follow this rigidity, partial avoidance of red meat (maximum cuts required for pork products) is emphasized. Take necessary precautions during the preparation of the animal products like backed and boiled products must be chosen to avoid much consumption of saturated and trans-fats.
  2. Strict avoidance of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is encouraged. These are one of the prime sources of transfatty acids. One of the steps to avoid partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is to avert the taking of commercially available packed food items and margarine. Use an adequate amount of olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil. They are the chief source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
  3. Add an abundant amount of fruits and vegetables to your daily diet plan. Expert nutritionists praise 6 to 9 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily.
  4. Highly recommended protein and complex carbohydrates are bean curd products such as tofu.
  5. Try to be a pescetarian/vegetarian as possible.
  6. Animal-food lovers can use seafood as an alternative source of animal products in their diet. Particularly oily fish from northern oceans, for example, salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, anchovies, and Alaskan halibut are healthy options. Many animal-food lovers prefer seafood over red and white meat. White meat from chicken and turkey is also a better option than red meat (beef, lamb, and pork) and dark meat from chicken and turkey. Shellfish contain a cholesterol-like substance that does not have much determinantal impact on blood cholesterol. But the amount of saturated animal fat in the diet raises ‘bad’ low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the blood.

Finally, we should be a firm advocate for daily exercise that has enough scientific back-up to improve cardiovascular health. Individuals should exercise for more than 40 minutes per day. Walking, jogging, swimming, and rowing are ideal aerobic exercises with multiple health benefits. Some weight training is also a good idea and can be performed two to three times per week for approximately 30 minutes. If you are not someone who exercises habitually, it would be prudent to consult a physician and a trainer before initiating an exercise program.

References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/

http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/halt-heart-disease-with-a-plant-based-oil-free-diet-

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/circulationaha.111.019828

The eye is the most sensitive organ in our body. Poor eyesight reduces the self-confidence and quality of life of an individual. On the career front, it poses a negative impact and a significant threat to employment opportunities. Light exposure or high metabolic rate along with exposure to chemical and environmental toxins induces oxidative damage. These are some fundamental reasons for growing vision impairment cases all over the world. In 2002, the government of India collaborated with the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness to fight against untreated eye health issues. Evidence from clinical research recognized that nutritional intervention could be one of the measures to avoid the underlying cause of vision damage. Moreover, proper nutrition can impede the progression of eye diseases.

Nutrients for Preventing Eye Disease

Negligence of early preventive initiation and inadequate nutritional balance are primary reasons for eye disease. Essential nutrients such as vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A (β-carotene), zinc, and copper are playing a role in maintaining the integrity of eye functionality. Although the general population is aware of the importance of these nutrients for eye health, but still, an emergent needs require knowing the exact dosing to obtain a significant effect. National Eye Institute of America has recommended daily dosage of these nutrients for people having a higher risk to develop age-related macular degeneration. However, the daily requirement can vary from an individual’s perspective. In general, the daily dosage of these nutrients is as follows: 

• Vitamin C – 425 mg
• Vitamin E – 400 IU
• Vitamin A – 28,640 IU
• Zinc – 69.6 mg
• Copper – 1.6 mg

All the nutrients follow some specific mechanism of action to prevent eye diseases and maintain eye health. Carotenoids, vitamin C & E, and zinc have potent antioxidant properties. Omega-3 fatty acids provide an anti-inflammatory effect that prevents the risk of age-related eye diseases.

Vitamin C

Oxidative stress damages fundamental structures of the body like protein, DNA, and RNA. The metabolic rate in the eye is high and tends to get intense oxidative damage. Vitamin C has sufficient antioxidant properties. Therefore adequate vitamin C in the diet can minimize oxidative stress damage. Vitamin C can be easily absorbed in the blood because of its water solubility. And reaches the eye tissues and prevents oxidative damage. Sufficient vitamin C consumption also enhances vitamin E production. Vitamin E is another essential nutrient with antioxidant properties. Different fruits and vegetables like orange, grapefruit, papaya, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, and tomatoes are natural sources of vitamin C.

Vitamin E

Light-sensitive cells of the retina present in the inner structure of the eye play a primary role in visual perception. The retina is made up of fatty acids and is vulnerable to oxidative damage. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that prevents lipid oxidation and also acts as a free radical scavenger. It also acts as a vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation. Vitamin E prevents inflammation by regulating the immune system’s functioning. There are different natural food items like almonds, peanuts, wheat-germ oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil which are good sources of Vitamin E.

Carotenoids

β-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are three important carotenoids essential for healthy eyesight. Each of these carotenoids has a significant role in eye health and that are as follows:

β-carotene

β-carotene is present in different dietary products, acts as a pro-vitamin A in our body. This nutritional element assists in vitamin A levels maintenance in blood plasma. Vitamin A is essential for preventing eye dryness and night blindness that can occur in any age group. Lettuce, spinach, kale, carrot, apricots, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato are examples of certain fruits and vegetables that contain a sufficient amount of β-carotene. Individuals who have a higher risk to develop lung cancer should avoid excessive intake of β-carotene.

Lutein and zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two carotenoids collectively referred to as macular pigments. They are primarily present in the retina and lens of the eye. The deficiency of these carotenoids can disturb the normal functioning of the eye. These two nutritional components are carotenoids. But they are not pro-vitamin A. These carotenoids also have antioxidant property decrease the risk of vision impairment. Dietary food items like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet corn, peas, kale, lettuce, spinach are few rich sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two common omega-3 fatty acids. They have potent anti-inflammatory properties. Both EPA and DHA can effectively reduce the risk of eye diseases and other related visionary disturbances. These two omega-3 fatty acids can prevent oxidative stress and improve vascularization. Omega-three fatty acids assist in proper blood circulation in the retina. 

DHA is one of the primary fatty acids abundantly present in the retina and regulates thickness, permeability, fluidity, lipid-phase properties. Thus, DHA plays a significant role in photoreceptor-membrane functioning. Fish oil supplement is one of the most convenient ways to achieve the required amount of EPA and DHA.

Besides maintaining eye health, both of these omega-3 fatty acids can also prevent cardiovascular diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids have a preventive effect against atherosclerosis.   

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral. It can boost immunity and improve the functionality of the natural antioxidant of the body. It reinforces the eye’s functioning by upholding the cell membrane structure. It also has a role in nerve signal transmission, which is essential for sense organ functionality. Multigrain cereals, cooked chicken, yogurt, milk, cheese, corn flakes, cashew nuts, peanuts, and almonds contain an adequate amount of zinc. You should include these items in our daily food consumption list to fulfill the requirement of zinc.

Protein malnutrition is another primary reason for vision impairment, apart from the insufficiency of these micronutrients and bioactive dietary ingredients. Besides leafy green vegetables and colorful fruits, an egg on the plate every day helps to retain strong eyesight. Research evidence supported that the regular intake of sufficient green vegetables and an egg could reduce 18 percent of cataract incidences. This regimen is also highly recommended for growing children and adolescents.

Several dietary supplements are available in the market. But NitaNaturale promotes natural sources for nutrition because of the most cost-effective measures to keep our eyes healthy.

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3693724/
• https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(15)01183-1/fulltext
• https://www.macularsociety.org/sites/default/files/downloads/Accessible%20Nutrition%20JAN17.pdf
• https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/0911/
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266854432_Certain_Nutrition_Can_Help_Maintain_Vision_and_Eye_Health
• https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/files/Improving_health_worldwide_India.pdf