4 Health Benefits of the Flexitarian Diet
INDOZONE.ID – The flexitarian diet, also called a semi-vegetarian diet, emphasizes eating plant foods and allows for occasional moderate amounts of meat consumption.
So what is the flexitarian diet?
The word flexitarian is a combination of the two words ‘flexible’ and ‘vegetarian’, which means that the diet provides a more flexible vegetarian approach when compared to other vegetarian or vegan diets.
A flexible diet suggests reaping the benefits of a vegetarian diet without completely eliminating animal products from the diet.
So what are the benefits of this diet?
Reporting from Boldsky, here are some of the health benefits of the flexitarian diet:
1. Helps you lose weight
A research study found that overweight adults who were given five different plant-based diets such as the vegan, vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian and omnivorous diet showed significant improvements in weight loss.
2. Control blood pressure levels
The flexitarian diet can help stabilize blood pressure levels. A 2020 study published in The British Journal of Nutrition shows that following a flexible diet lowers blood pressure and BMI levels. High blood pressure (hypertension) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
3. Reducing the risk of diabetes
One study showed that post-menopausal women who followed a semi-vegetarian diet for the long term had significantly lower levels of glucose and insulin.
4. Can manage cancer
Increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts has been shown to prevent cancer. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that a 7-year study of colon cancer in 78,000 people found that semi-vegetarians were 8 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than non-vegetarians.
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