Eat Veg or Die: The Power of Plant Based Diets (Kohatsu, Naderi, Brown 7/7/2021)

Many thanks to our Integrative Medicine Fellow-- Dr. Tahereh Naderi-- and our Integrative Medicine Faculty-- Dr. Wendy Kohatsu and Dr. Ben Brown-- for their 3 Course presentation this week on the Power of the Plant-Based Diet. 

A video recording is available HERE. 

Did you know that 10.5% of the US population is diabetic? That $1 in every $7 of US healthcare dollars are spent on treating diabetes? That only 1 in 10 of American adults get enough fruits and veggies in their diet? 

As Dr. Naderi (and Hippocrates) started the presentation: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food".

What is a plant-based diet (PBD)? 

PBD are eating habits that avoid consumption of most or all of animal products, support high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, whole grains, and nuts. This may include:

• vegan
• lacto-ovo vegetarians
• pesceterian
• flexitarian
• Mediterranean diet
• whole foods, plant-based, low fat

What are the benefits of a plant-based diet?

• reduced body weight
• lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar
• lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer
• linked to longer lifespan
• improved joint pain/inflammation in certain autoimmune conditions
• better for the environment

PBD are effective for weight loss. On average, a vegetarian diet reduces weight by 7.6 kg for men, 3.3 kg for women, and a 2 point lower BMI.Vegetarians tend to eat more nutrients and less total fat, and sadly, there is a positive association between meat consumption and obesity.

PBD are effective for both prevention and treatment of diabetes. Vegetarians have 1/2 risk of developing diabetes over their lifetime. In a RCT of low fat vegan diet based on a diet based on ADA guidelines, there was a reduction of a1c by 1.23% vs. 0.38% and reduction in medication need by 43% compared to 26% in ADA group. 

PBD are associated with improvement in psychological outcomes including improvements in depression and quality of life with patients with diabetes, as well as improvement in neuropathic pain.

PBDs appear to have anti-inflammatory properties, improving our gut microbiome, decreasing inflammation and joint pain, and improving symptoms by decreasing triggering foods (meats, egg, dairy)

If you are curious about the data on the above statements, check out the book The China Study (by T. Colon Campbell) or the documentary "Forks over Knives". Here is a quote from the authors of the China Study:  "People who eat the most animal based foods get the most chronic disease. People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest"

Finally, PBD are better for the environment (see graphics from the Plantrician Project):

Of note, says Dr. Brown says there are many reasons why eating a PBD makes sense. In fact, diets high in animal proteins are associated with a

•  75% increase in mortality
• 400% increase in cancer risk
• 500% increase in diabetes
• significantly higher IGF-1 levels.

Red meats have been associated with chronic inflammation, and how you cook it might increase that risk (e.g. grilled meat containing heterocyclic amines) may be worse. However, if you combine grilled meat with anti-inflammatory foods (garlic, broccoli, lemon, cumin, hibiscus), it may mitigate some of those potential harms.

Whereas eating lots of fruits and veggies can be life-prolonging, it is important to consider how these foods are produced. Specific fruits and veggies are more likely to contain life-altering pesticides and should be eaten organically whenever possible (i.e. Dirty Dozen); others are less risky if eaten from conventional farms (i.e. Clean 15). See image below and consider putting it up on your fridge to help guide your purchasing habits.

Dr. Brown also shared with us the concept of the ORAC value. The ORAC unit (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), ORAC value, or ORAC score is a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging (NIH) to measures the antioxidant capacity of different foods. He encouraged us to take a look at this list and eat preferentially foods with high ORAC values, including dark chocolate!

Don't forget choosing the right oil! It should be plant based and care with deep frying. FOr a simple resources, check out this article from the Cleveland Clinic.  And don't forget lots and lots of fiber!!

Dr. Kohatsu finished up the Grand Rounds with a slew of "Pro Tips" as our in house expert-physician-Chef. Here are 10 of Dr. Kohatsu's pro-tips: 

1. Check out Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown, how to eat on <$4 a day, PDF with recipes available free via download.
2. If you are worried about getting enough protein in your plant-based diet, change to plant-based proteins, including nuts, seeds and beans
3. Easy beans/legumes to consider: brown beans, lentils, soy beans, chickpeas, black beans and pinto
4. If you are worried about getting gas from beans, soak them overnight, choose newer beans, skim the foam off the top, add gas dissolving herbs and spices (cumin, epazote, fennel), chew well, and use digestive enzymes (e.g. Bean-O)
5. Consider trying "Meatless Mondays" just one days per week. Recipes and ideas available here:
6. To increase your nuts and seeds intake, put 1/4 cup of nuts in a bag to snack on during the day, add nuts to salads, use nut butters, and use tahini based dressing/sauces
7. Keep your oil in small containers, dark bottles, in a cool area, avoid deep fat fryers and don't store right above your stove (it's too hot!)
8. Try roasting your cruciferous veggies (kids love them)
9. Cook at home (it's cheaper and almost always healthier!)
10. Eat dark chocolate