Philip J Tuso, Mohamed H Ismail, Benjamin P Ha, Carole Bartolotto

DOI: 10.7812/TPP/12-085

PURPOSE:

To present physicians with an update on plant-based diets due to concerns about the rising cost of health care, even as unhealthy lifestyles are contributing to the spread of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

PROCEDURE:

Physicians seeking cost-effective interventions to improve health outcomes are increasingly involved in helping their patients adopt healthier lifestyles.

CONCLUSIONS:

· Healthy eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet, which we define as a regimen that encourages whole, plant-based foods and discourages meats, dairy products, eggs, and all refined and processed foods.

· Research shows that plant-based diets are cost-effective, low-risk interventions that may lower body mass index, blood pressure, HbA1C, and cholesterol levels.

· They may also reduce the number of medications needed to treat chronic diseases and lower ischemic heart disease mortality rates.

· Physicians should consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.

IN PLAIN ENGLISH:

Okay, boys and girls (yes, you are biologically one of the two), MORE confusion in the diet & food world. This crew emphasizes the health and $-cost aspects of plant-based diets, while the carnivore crew thinks otherwise. WTF? With so much information to sift through, it’s a head-scratching endeavor to nail down the exact path to take for optimal health. One needs to study the intricate details of food digestion, absorption, and hormonal effects throughout the body. It’s like your mother-in-law driving your new Mercedes-Benz off a cliff into a deep ravine; the epitome of ambivalence: Yes! Oh no, NO! Good luck out there in search of the truth.