Whole foods, Plant-based Nutrition
Since compelling evidence shows chronic diseases to dramatically increase the risk for severe and mortal COVID-19(1, 2), it would seem prudent to adopt an eating pattern that helps prevent and potentially reverse these conditions. Animal food/protein consumption, particularly red and processed meats are linked with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, various cancers, hypertension, and heart disease (3 - 11). Whole-foods, plant-based nutrition, on the other-hand, can be protective and may even help reverse diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes (12 - 19). Also, plant-based eating tends to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body (20, 21).
Whole-foods, plant-based nutrition consists of minimally processed: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), nuts and seeds (22).
By consuming a whole-foods plant-based eating pattern, people are directly tackling type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, various cancers, and hypertension, which in turn reduces the risk of severe and mortal COVID-19. Like all eating patterns, whole-foods plant-based nutrition should be appropriately planned. When done so, it can “satisfy the nutrient needs and promote normal growth at all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes” (22). We recommend people consider moving towards a minimally processed eating pattern consisting of plants.
References
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