Why a Plant-Based Diet?

Abstract The Dietary Portfolio was designed to be placed in the context of a plant-based diet. There are three primary reasons behind this choice: the first being the strong evidence base supporting the health benefits of a plant-based diet and plant food components, the second its relation to sustainability, and the third the ethical aspects of this type of dietary pattern. A growing wave of dietary guidelines from a wide range of health advisories have revised their guidelines to include recommendations for either eliminating or limiting consumption of meat specifically in regard to processed meats, red meats, and other animal products high in saturated fat. This change is the result of a large body of evidence linking consumption of these foods to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and certain types of cancer. In contrast, plant-based diets and diets low in animal products have shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as CVD, diabetes, obesity, etc. Plant-based diets have also been shown to have a reduced environmental impact compared to those high in animal products. Compared to other dietary patterns plant-based diets have the greatest capacity to reduce land use, greenhouse gas emission as well as water use and contamination. Finally, ethical and moral questions surround the treatment of farm animals in this age of industrial agriculture. By relying on plant-based sources of protein such as nuts, soy, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables, the Dietary Portfolio is able to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as CVD, while decreasing environmental impact and animal cruelty.