When I was diagnosed with ME I looked at all aspects of my diet and lifestyle to see if I could make any changes to help the condition.  I began to eat a lot of raw food, made juices, smoothies and ate a lot of fruit, veg, nuts and seeds, finding that once I replaced the animal products from my diet I started to have more energy and feel noticeably better.  As I began to do more research I discovered that there are other health-related benefits of a plant-based diet.

Following a plant-based diet can reduce our risk of heart disease by 1/3!

Research the British Heart Foundation shows that there are over 7.4 million people in the UK living with heart or circulatory diseases.  With only a quarter of adults eating their minimum 5 portions of fruit or vegetables a day.  The same report shows that eating a plant based diet may reduce your chances of hospitalisation from heart disease by 32%! This is because plant-based foods are often lower in saturated fat, containing minimal cholesterol therefore making them a smart choice for healthy hearts.

The World Cancer Research Fund have listed processed meats including bacon, ham alongside cigarettes and asbestos as carcinogenic. In contrast, fruit and vegetables are generally high in protective antioxidants, fibre and phytochemical which have been shown to reduce risk of several types of cancer.

Plant-based diets tend to be lower in saturated fat, higher in fibre, fruit and vegetables and other protective substances like phytochemical and antioxidants – all factors that help prevent and manage diabetes.

Over half of all antibiotics globally are fed to farmed animals leading to an increased risk of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The global coronavirus pandemic was believed to have started at a wet market in Wuhan province, China, where fish, poultry and other animals are kept and slaughtered on the same premises.