Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner developed the Flexitarian Diet to enable people to enjoy moderate amounts of animal products while still gaining the health benefits of vegetarianism.
Flexitarian diet is built upon the following tenets:
-Eat a lot of whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables.
-Prioritize plant-based protein over animal-based protein.
-Be flexible and occasionally include meat and animal products in your diet.
-Consume food in its most natural, least processed form.
-Cut back on sweets and additional sugar.
The Flexitarian Diet is a well-liked option for people trying to eat healthy because of its adaptability and emphasis on what to include rather than what to prohibit. This diet significantly promotes consuming less meat and more plant-based foods. It is a semi-vegetarian eating pattern. People trying to reduce their consumption of animal products may find it intriguing because there are no precise guidelines or recommendations.
Prospective health advantages
Healthy heart
Heart health benefits come from fiber- and healthy fat-rich diets. While vegetarians had greater risks of hemorrhagic and total stroke, a study with more than 48,188 people indicated that fish eaters and vegetarians had lower rates of ischemic heart disease than meat eaters [1]. Ischemic heart disease was less common in vegetarians and fish eaters by 13% and 22%, respectively, than in meat eaters [2].
An omnivore diet significantly raised systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to a vegetarian diet, according to a 2020 analysis of 15 studies [3]. Additionally, a 2020 study on vegetarian, pescatarian, and flexitarian diets with 10,797 participants discovered that those who followed any diet restricting or eliminating animal intake had lower body mass index, total cholesterol, and blood pressure than those who consumed meat [4]. However, flexitarian diets are intended to be mostly plant-based and are anticipated to yield advantages comparable to those of strictly vegetarian eating patterns.
Weight management
Flexitarian diets may also aid with weight management. This is partially due to the fact that flexitarians tend to consume fewer high-calorie, highly processed foods and more plant-based foods, which have lower caloric values by nature. According to numerous studies, individuals who consume a plant-based diet may experience greater weight loss than those who do not. A study involving over 1,100 individuals reported that those who followed a vegetarian diet for 18 weeks shed 4.5 pounds (2 kg) more weight than those who did not [5]. Researchers have also found vegans typically lose more weight than vegetarians and carnivores do. The Flexitarian Diet does not, however, focus primarily on weight loss. It is primarily concentrated on increasing the amount of nutrient-dense foods in your diet, like fruits, legumes, and vegetables.
Reduced risk of diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a major public health crisis. A nutritious diet, particularly one that is primarily plant -based, may help avoid and manage chronic illness. The reason for this is most likely that plant-based diets promote weight loss and contain a variety of foods that are high in fiber and low in harmful fats and added sugars.
In a study with over 200,000 participants, it was discovered that a diet high in plant-based foods and low in animal-based foods was linked to a 20% lower risk of diabetes [6]. A plant-based diet that prioritizes healthy plant foods has also been connected with a bigger reduction in diabetes risk (34%) while a diet high in less nutritious plant foods has been linked with a 16% rise in diabetes risk. According to another studies, those who follow plant-based diets see larger HbA1c (the three-month average of blood sugar readings) reductions than those who follow conventional diets if they have type 2 diabetes [7].
Reduced risk of cancer
A lower risk of developing several malignancies is linked to dietary patterns that are high in nutrient-dense plant foods including fruits, vegetables, and legumes and low in ultra-processed foods. According to research, vegetarian diets are linked to a decreased overall incidence of cancer in general and colorectal cancer in particular [8].
Semi-vegetarians had an 8% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer than non-vegetarians did, according to a 7-year study of colorectal cancer cases in 78,000 people [8].
As a result, adopting a flexitarian diet and consuming more vegetarian foods may lower chance of developing cancer.
Eating options for a flexitarian diet
While limiting animal products, flexitarians place an emphasis on plant proteins and other complete, minimally processed plant meals.
Regularly consumed foods include:
Proteins : Soy, tofu, tempeh, beans, and lentils.
Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, and cauliflower.
Starchy vegetables: Sweet potato, peas, corn, and winter squash
Fruits: Berries, grapes, apples, oranges, cherries, and oranges
Whole grains: Buckwheat, farro, quinoa, teff,
Seeds, nuts and other sources: Almonds, flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, peanut butter, avocados, olives, and coconut oil.
Alternatives to milk (made from plants): Unsweetened almond, coconut, hemp, and soy milk.
Herbs, spices, and seasonings: Cumin, turmeric, ginger, mint, oregano, and basil
Condiments: Salsa, mustard, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, and ketchup without sugar.
Beverages: Tea, coffee, still and sparkling water.
When incorporating animal products, choose the following when possible:
Eggs: Free-range or pasture-raised
Poultry: Organic, free-range, or pasture-raised
Fish: Wild-caught
Meat: Grass-fed or pasture-raised
Dairy: Organic from grass-fed or pastured animals
The bottom line
The Flexitarian diet, which is semi-vegetarian, emphasizes nutritious plant proteins and other whole, minimally processed plant-based foods, but it also promotes the moderation of meat and other animal products. Eating flexitarian meals may help you lose weight and lower your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. It might even benefit the environment. However, in order to avoid nutritional shortfalls and maximize your health benefits, careful thought should go into your flexitarian meal selections.
Sources
1. Tong TYN, Appleby PN, Bradbury KE, Perez-Cornago A, Travis RC, Clarke R, Key TJ. Risks of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in meat eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians over 18 years of follow-up: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study. BMJ. 2019 Sep 4;366:l4897. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l4897.
2. Tong TYN, Appleby PN, Bradbury KE, Perez-Cornago A, Travis RC, Clarke R, Key TJ. Risks of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in meat eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians over 18 years of follow-up: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study. BMJ. 2019 Sep 4;366:l4897. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l4897. PMID: 31484644; PMCID: PMC6724406.
3. Lee KW, Loh HC, Ching SM, Devaraj NK, Hoo FK. Effects of Vegetarian Diets on Blood Pressure Lowering: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis. Nutrients. 2020 May 29;12(6):1604. doi: 10.3390/nu12061604. PMID: 32486102; PMCID: PMC7352826.
4. Derbyshire EJ. Flexitarian Diets and Health: A Review of the Evidence-Based Literature. Front Nutr. 2017 Jan 6;3:55. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2016.00055. PMID: 28111625; PMCID: PMC5216044.
5. Turner-McGrievy GM, Davidson CR, Wingard EE, Wilcox S, Frongillo EA. Comparative effectiveness of plant-based diets for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial of five different diets. Nutrition. 2015 Feb;31(2):350-8. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.09.002. Epub 2014 Oct 18. PMID: 25592014.
6. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039
7. Yokoyama Y, Barnard ND, Levin SM, Watanabe M. Vegetarian diets and glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2014 Oct;4(5):373-82. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2223-3652.2014.10.04. PMID: 25414824; PMCID: PMC4221319.
8. Orlich MJ, Singh PN, Sabaté J, Fan J, Sveen L, Bennett H, Knutsen SF, Beeson WL, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Butler TL, Herring RP, Fraser GE. Vegetarian dietary patterns and the risk of colorectal cancers. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 May;175(5):767-76. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.59. PMID: 25751512; PMCID: PMC4420687.
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