Improved blood sugar control

Because being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for developing diabetes, losing weight can lower that risk.

One study published in the journal Nutrients in 2018, for example, followed overweight people with no history of diabetes after they switched to a vegan diet for 16 weeks. Those people saw improvements in insulin sensitivity and better function of the pancreatic cells responsible for producing and releasing insulin. This led to improvements in blood sugar levels.

Reduced joint pain

Fruits and vegetables contain certain compounds called phytonutrients that have an anti-inflammatory effect on cells. Also called antioxidants, these compounds can help reduce the joint pain, swelling and tenderness associated with arthritis and other chronic conditions of the joints.

In addition, if you’re overweight, losing weight can help reduce stress on achy joints in the lower body. The hips, knees and ankles bear the weight of the whole body, so weighing less means less pressure — in some cases, a lot less pressure — on the arthritic joint.

Improved bowel health

Because a healthy vegan diet emphasizes consumption of high-fiber foods like fruit, vegetables and whole grains, that can lead to better gut health and regularity. High-fiber, whole grain foods contain prebiotics, which are natural, nondigestible compounds that help support the growth of helpful bacteria in the gut — i.e., you need prebiotics to form probiotics, which are those beneficial bacteria.

When you’re consuming prebiotics and probiotics in adequate amounts, that can help regulate gut health, which can contribute to overall good health. High-fiber foods also add bulk to the stool, which can make for better regularity and improved gastrointestinal health.

Reduced cancer risk

There’s also the potential to reduce your risk of developing cancer. Vegan diets, when planned correctly, are very high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These plant-based foods have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer due to their high antioxidant and phytonutrient content. All that said, it’s important to make sure you’re getting adequate amounts of certain nutrients that may be more difficult to get when following a strict vegan diet.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【转换到】zhuǎnhuàn dào switch to begin doing, using, consuming, etc., something new or different

【益生元】 yìshēngyuán prebiotics a nondigestible food ingredient that promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines

血糖控制改善

由于引发糖尿病的一大危险因素是超重或肥胖，所以减肥能够降低患糖尿病的风险。例如，2018年《营养学》杂志上发表了一篇研究论文：在无糖尿病史的超重人群改吃纯素食后，研究人员对他们进行了为期16周的跟踪调查。研究发现，这群人的胰岛素敏感性上升，负责生产和释放胰岛素的胰腺细胞功能加强，血糖水平从而得到了改善。

关节痛缓解

水果和蔬菜中含有某些叫作植物营养素的化合物，能够对抗细胞发炎。这些化合物又叫抗氧化物，能够帮助减轻关节炎和其他慢性关节病引起的关节疼痛、肿胀和压痛。

除此之外，如果超重，减肥能够帮助隐隐作痛的下肢关节减轻受力。臀部、膝盖和脚踝承受着整个身体的重量，体重减轻则意味着受力减轻，有时候能够为患炎症的关节减轻很大受力。

肠道健康改善

由于健康的纯素食饮食强调吃水果、蔬菜和全谷类等高纤维食物，因而能够帮助改善肠道健康，增强肠道规律性。高纤维、全谷类食物中含有益生元，它是一种不可消化的天然化合物，能够促进肠道中有益细菌的生长。也就是说，你需要益生元来产生益生菌，即那些有益细菌。摄入的益生元和益生菌达到足够数量时，它们就能帮助调节肠道健康。这有益于整个机体的健康。高纤维食物还能增加粪便体积，从而促进规律排便，改善胃肠健康。

癌症风险降低

普罗克特说，吃纯素食还有可能降低患癌的风险。在搭配合理的纯素食饮食中，水果、蔬菜和全谷类的占比也很高。经证实，这些植物性食物由于富含抗氧化物和植物营养素，能够降低患癌的风险。

尽管素食好处多多，确保摄入充足的特定营养素非常重要，这对严格的纯素食者来说也许更难做到。

(chinadaily.com.cn)