“Plant-based” has become 1 of the latest buzzwords in the food world. However, like
many buzzwords, its meaning has become muddied, somehow simultaneously referring to
both vegan and “flexitarian” diets,
1
and minimally
2
and ultra-processed foods.
3
Simply Plant Based: Fabulous Food for a Healthy Life is for sure on the vegan, minimally processed end of the “plant-based” continuum,
but the “v-word” is surprisingly absent from its pages in favor of the much trendier
term. Aiming to attract a 21st-century, health-conscious consumer, author Vanita Rahman
passionately touts the benefits of a plant-based diet through several personal anecdotes
and a somewhat hasty review of the literature. Notably missing from her references
are more recent meta-analyses that express less-conclusive findings regarding the
adoption of a vegan diet,
4
,5
instead opting for dated trials and opinion papers from a handful of principal investigators.
In addition, Rahman's promotion of α-linolenic acid as a sole omega-3 fat source was
a bit concerning, given that its inefficient conversion by humans to eicosapentaenoic
and docosahexaenoic acid has been documented for decades.
6
However, great nutrition information was provided on necessary vitamin supplementation
for vegans and adequate protein consumption. Hopefully, more scientific rigor will
find its way into the second edition.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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REFERENCES
- What makes a plant-based diet? A review of current concepts and proposal for a standardized plant-based dietary intervention checklist.Eur J Clin Nutr. 2022; 76: 789-800
- Definition of a plant-based diet and overview of this special issue.J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017; 14: 315
- Can plant-based meat alternatives be part of a healthy and sustainable diet?.JAMA. 2019; 322: 1547-1548
- Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: a systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017; 57: 3640-3649
- The effect of vegan diets on blood pressure in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Am J Med. 2019; 132 (875–883.e7)
- Efficiency of conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to long chain n-3 fatty acids in man.Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2002; 5: 127-132
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 4,
2022
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© 2022 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
