A plant-based diet can provide personal, population, and planetary health benefits, supporting efforts to mitigate climate change.
Default interventions, such as making plant-based options the default choice, can effectively change behavior towards healthier eating habits.
Deep dives
Reducing Meat Consumption: Cost and Health as Motivators
A survey of over 30,000 US residents shows that a third of American adults are actively trying to cut down on their meat consumption. For those earning less than $40,000 a year, cost is the primary motivator, while for those earning more, health is the main driver. Research emphasizes that a healthy diet should include more plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fewer animal foods, particularly fatty and processed meats. Transitioning to a plant-based diet could promote personal, population, and planetary health, supporting efforts to mitigate climate change.
Influence of Default Options in Promoting Healthier Diets
Studies suggest that default interventions can effectively change behavior towards healthier eating habits. For example, in a midwestern experiment, making meat-free options the default choice increased the selection of plant-based dishes by 75% to 90%. Similar trends were observed when increasing the number of vegetable options on menus. By making healthier choices the easiest option, default interventions can encourage individuals to opt for plant-based diets.
Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Benefits for Chronic Kidney Disease
A whole food plant-based diet shows promise in ameliorating chronic kidney disease. Such a diet, rich in plant proteins and low in animal proteins, can reduce inflammation, minimize stress on the kidneys, and potentially improve kidney function. Research indicates that a higher proportion of plant-based protein in the diet is associated with reduced all-cause mortality. By adopting this diet, individuals with kidney disease can experience significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and weight loss. Moreover, this dietary approach may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of mortality among kidney patients.
The latest research on how to eat less meat, reversing kidney failure, and the connection between stress and our breath. This episode features audio from: