Which plant-based foods are beneficial in the treatment of depression, diabetes, and obesity?

A vegetarian diet consisting of whole plant foods is one of the most beneficial for the prevention and management of diabetes, depression and obesity

Being a vegetarian makes you lively, slim and cheerful.

Eating a vegetarian diet not only helps you lose weight. It also improves your mental health and reduces the effects and risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These are the key findings of an English analysis that examines the effects of plant-based foods.

 

prevention and management of diabetes, depression and obesity

Researchers from the University of London, the University of Northampton and the East Sussex NHS Healthcare Trust analyzed the results of 11 studies on plant-based diets and their effects on health. It has been shown that a vegetarian diet primarily improves weight loss, mental health and quality of life and is suitable for controlling type 2 diabetes.

There is no need to give up completely.

Not only is plant-based food becoming more and more popular, but it also has many health benefits. While vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs, the study looked at diets where less than 11% of daily calories come from animal products.

 

Positive effects of a plant-based diet

"It can be concluded that plant-based diets, accompanied by instruction, can improve mental health, quality of life, HbA1c levels and weight," the researchers summarized the results of their study. Eight studies showed improvement in HbA1c values. This value allows to draw conclusions about the quality of blood sugar control over the last eight to twelve weeks. Three studies showed positive psychological effects, such as an increase in quality of life and a reduction in depression.

prevention and management of diabetes, depression and obesity

Eating mainly vegetables helps in weight loss.

Six out of eleven studies looked at the effects of a plant-based diet on body weight. Here, five out of six studies were able to show that a vegetarian diet mainly leads to weight loss. Patients lost an average of more than five kilograms as a result of the change in diet.

 

The English Health Authority comments on the results.

As the results of the investigation were widely reported in the English media, the English Health Authority (NHS) also commented on them. "Eating a healthy vegetarian diet can help people with type 2 diabetes improve their symptoms and avoid complications," NHS health experts said in a press release. However, there are many limitations in the study that say with certainty that the vegan diet is the best diet for people with diabetes.

 

Eating vegetarian does not automatically mean healthy.

As the NHS reports, a healthy diet usually includes fresh vegetables, beans, fruits and whole grains. With a plant-based diet, special attention should be paid to the fact that many foods fall into these categories. On the other hand, plant-based carbohydrates such as sugar and white flour should be used sparingly so that a plant-based diet is truly healthy.

 

Good - but not necessarily the best.

The NHS emphasizes that the results show that a healthy vegetarian diet can help with diabetes and obesity. However, this does not mean that the diet is necessarily the best. Other foods have been shown to be beneficial to health and help control diabetes. For example, a Mediterranean diet can help you lose weight and prevent diabetes. Overall, the number of study participants is small enough to make a definitive statement about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet.