Thought Leadership in Action

As even the most die-hard meat lover knows, vegetables should be part of a healthy diet. Long known to be important sources of key nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin C, veggies have been shown to lower the risk for several health problems, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Recently, however, scientists have found evidence that eating vegetables may potentially prevent some of the most serious and dreaded diseases - from heart disease to dementia. The key is to eat vegetables in abundance. You don’t have to become a vegetarian. Instead, consider choosing to be a pro-vegetarian.

The Pro-Vegetarian Diet

"A pro-vegetarian diet doesn't make absolute recommendations about specific nutrients. It focuses on increasing the proportion of plant-based foods relative to animal-based foods, which results in an improved nutritionally balance diet," said Camille Lassale, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at Imperial College London's School of Public Health.

In a study involving almost half a million people in 10 countries who were followed for about 12 years, Lassale and her research team found that the people who ate a higher proportion of plant-based foods slashed their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, including a heart attack or stroke, by 20%. "Instead of drastic avoidance of animal-based foods, substituting some of the meat in your diet with plant-based sources may be a very simple, useful way to lower cardiovascular mortality," said Lassale, who calls a pro-vegetarian diet one that contains 70% vegetables and fruits.

The American Heart Association recommends following a heart-healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, and nuts, low-fat dairy, beans, skinless poultry and fish, which fits the pro-vegetarian diet description.

Learn to Love Broccoli

Researchers have found that many phytonutrients, chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants, have health-protecting properties. One phytonutrient, sulforaphane, found abundantly in cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbages), may help prevent cancer through a complex process known as epigenetics.

Epigenetics refers to our individual genetic code and also how diet and environmental factors influence how genes are activated. When certain enzymes interfere with the normal functioning of tumor-suppressing genes, sulforaphane can help restore proper balance and cell function, preventing the development of cancer, according to scientists from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (OSU).

Their new research, published in the journal Clinical Epigenetics, primarily looked at the effect of sulforaphane on prostate cancer cells, but the researchers think the findings are probably relevant to many other cancers. Previous laboratory and clinical studies have shown that a higher intake of cruciferous vegetables can help lower the risk of cancer - and the new findings suggest sulforaphane is the key.

"Cancer is very complex and it's usually not just one thing that has gone wrong," said Emily Ho, an associate professor in the Linus Pauling Institute and the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences. "It's increasingly clear that sulforaphane is a real multi-tasker. The more we find out about it, the more benefits it appears to have."

Protect Your Brain

No matter your age, eating vegetables regularly now, and keeping it up through the years, could protect your brain as you age. Eating a vegetable rich diet, appropriately dubbed the MIND diet, significantly lowers a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, even if the diet is not meticulously followed, according to research from Rush University Medical Center.

The MIND diet combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets, both of which have been found to lower the risk of cardiovascular conditions, including high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. The 10 "brain-healthy foods" that make up the MIND diet include lots of green leafy vegetables and other vegetables including beans, along with nuts, berries, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and wine. The researchers also identified foods to avoid as much as possible when it comes to eating for brain health - red meats, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food.

For those who followed the diet most closely, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was cut by over 53%. The researchers concluded that people who eat this way consistently over the years get the best protection. “As is the case with many health-related habits, including physical exercise, you'll be healthier if you've been doing the right thing for a long time,” said Rush nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, Ph.D.