Plant-based foods beneficial for heart disease: Study

Phytochemical, (fight-o-chemical) are organic compounds found in fruits, vegetables and other plants that work together with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to protect against many life threatening conditions like heart disease, arterial damage some forms of cancer, as well as premature ageing.

Lead author of the study, Heather K. Vincent from the University of Florida declared, "We always want to encourage people to go back to the whole sources of food, the non processed foods if we can help it. That would be the bottom line for anyone, regardless of age and body size, keep going back to the purer plant-based foods. Remember to eat the good quality food first."

Analysis of the dietary patterns
The researchers analyzed the dietary patterns of 54 young adults for three days and repeated the same process eight weeks later. The participants were split into two groups, normal weight and overweight.

Both the groups consumed nearly the same amount of calories. However, the researchers noted that the intake of plant based foods was lower in the obese adults. They were thus consuming fewer protective minerals and phytochemicals and more saturated fats, opening the doors to oxidative stress which in turn leads to a host of health problems.

Vincent stated, "Diets low in plant-based foods affect health over the course of a long period of time. This is related to annual weight gain, low levels of inflammation and oxidative stress. Those are the onset processes of disease that debilitate people later in life."

Researchers state that phytochemicals in plant based foods can offset the damage caused by oxidative stress, and keep weight under control.

A word of advise
According to researchers, consumption of plant-based foods before a meal not only makes a person fuller but also provides the essential nutrients, in addition to a healthy dietary pattern.

Vincent stated, "We need to find a way to encourage people to pull back on fat and eat more foods rich in micronutrients and trace minerals from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and soy. Fill your plate with colorful, low-calorie, varied-texture foods derived from plants first.

"By slowly eating phytochemical-rich foods such as salads with olive oil or fresh-cut fruits before the actual meal, you will likely reduce the overall portion size, fat content and energy intake. In this way, you're ensuring that you get the variety of protective, disease-fighting phytochemicals you need and controlling caloric intake."

The findings were published online in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.