Bhavi Patel 4 20 14 The Effects of Diet on Health There are several types of diets one can follow however the real question becomes which diet is the most beneficial to health Eating a healthy diet is very important in order to live a long strong life But what is a healthy diet According to many a healthy diet is one that has the most amount of vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to not become sick Two very popular types of diets are the Paleo diet and the vegan vegetarian diet The Paleo diet consists of a higher consumption of meat than plants in the diet while a vegan vegetarian diet consists of a higher consumption of plants than animals Any and all diets have their pros and cons to health because following a strict diet means that you are leaving out certain types of foods that contain certain vitamins and minerals that your body needs Following any strict diet is difficult for the human body but following a more plant based diet is far more beneficial to human health than following a more meat based diet because it prevents cardiovascular disease and decreases the chances of getting type 2 diabetes Many prospective research studies indicated that a more plant based diet has a lower mortality rate from cardiovascular disease than a meat based diet This is because a plant based diet mainly consists of a favorable lipid profile and high antioxidant consumption which results in a lower body weight In addition to this the lower cholesterol and saturated fat characteristics of a plant based diet contributes to lower blood lipid concentrations and higher HDL levels in vegetarians than it does in animal based diets Karabudak Kiziltan Cigerim 2008 A study was done comparing 26 females that followed a plant based diet and 26 females that followed an animal based diet these women were monitored with their food consumption and its effect on their health The results showed that the females that followed the plant based diet were less likely to get a cardiovascular disease because they have low cholesterol foods in their diet however they were deficient in protein and vitamin B12 The females that followed an animal based diet were not but they had a higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease because the food in their diet consisted of fats and high cholesterol Karabudak et al 2008 Even though plant based diets are vitamin B12 and protein deficienct people that follow this diet have higher blood concentrations of a carotene vitamin C and vitamin E than do people that follow an animal based diet Rauma Torronen Hanninen Verhagen Mykkanen 1995 In addition to this eating the right foods like seeds grains and fruits when on a plant based diet and reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease is far more beneficial to health than in an animal based diet filled with foods that lead to high cholesterol increasing the risks of cardiovascular disease A plant based diet has shown many signs of reducing the risks of type 2 diabetes because of all the nutrients and minerals that plant based diets have such as vitamin C folate magnesium and iron Studies have shown that magnesium and iron play a role in maintaining type 2 diabetes According to research done by the American Diabetes Association 2004 there is an inverse correlation between magnesium intake and diabetes risk The results of the study showed that as individuals ate more foods with magnesium such as nuts whole grains and green leafy vegetables the risks of type 2 diabetes decreased Lopez Ridaura et al 2004 In addition to this other studies have shown that people that have type 2 diabetes and follow a plant based diet have better glycemic control show signs of weight loss and have improved plasma lipid control which reduces the risks of type 2 diabetes Barnard et al 2009 This study was done for 22 weeks to see the effects of a plant based diet vs an animal based diet on individuals with type 2 diabetes The study showed that insulin intake was reduced in 35 of the individuals that followed the plant based diet whereas only 20 was reduced in individuals that followed an animal based diet Barnard et al 2009 These results show that following a plant based diet is far more beneficial in maintaining type 2 diabetes than an animal diet that is filled with fatty foods Every diet has its pros and cons The main goal for an individual should be to pick a diet that has all the necessary nutrients and minerals and which will benefit overall good health A plant based diet is filled with nutrients and minerals that help maintain reduce type 2 diabetes and reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease This is because this diet is usually high in magnesium and increases good cholesterol However this diet does not suffice in the amount of protein and vitamin B12 body needs therefore one must pay close attention to eating the right foods or take supplements On the other hand an animal based diet is filled with proteins and vitamin B12 but the foods lead to high cholesterol which leads to cardiovascular disease and it also increases the need for insulin because of the oily and fatty foods leading to an increase of type 2 diabetes In the end to live a better and longer lifestyle one should follow a plant based diet in order to keep good health and keep track of the foods they eat since this diet is more beneficial to health References Barnard N Cohen J Jenkins D Turner McGrievy G Gloede L Green A Ferdowsian H 2009 A low fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes a randomized controlled 74 wk clinical trial American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition 89 5S 1588S 1596 Karabudak E Kiziltan G Cigerim N 2008 A comparison of some of the cardiovascular risk factors in vegetarian and omnivorous Turkish females Journal Of Human Nutrition Dietetics 21 1 13 22 Lopez Ridaura R Willett WC Rimm EB Liu S Stampfer MJ Manson JE Hu FB 2004 Magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women Diabetes Care Association 134 40 Rauma A Torronen R Hanninen O Verhagen H Mykkanen H 1995 Antioxidant status in long term adherents to a strict uncooked vegan diet American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition 62 6 1221 1227