The Physiological Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet on Cardiovascular Health
Location
Online - Session 2D
Start Date
4-21-2021 11:30 AM
Major Field of Study
Nursing
Student Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor(s)
Patricia Harris, Phd
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is becoming increasingly more prevalent in today’s society and is attributed to an alarming percentage of American hospitalizations and deaths. Americans are unhealthier than ever before, and the main contributor is diet. Diet is a double-edged sword that can either offer benefits or detriments to one’s health. CVD is an umbrella term that consists of numerous diagnoses which originate from various underlying physiological alterations. These alterations ultimately originate from increased body weight and BMI, increased cholesterol levels, decreased insulin sensitivity and increased arterial plaque buildup. Through my research, I have found that a plant-based diet has the potential to manage and reverse all of the fundamental physiological alterations that lead to CVD.
Acquiring a plant-based diet can have many health benefits, such a decreased weight and BMI, lower LDL cholesterol levels, increased insulin sensitivity in cells, decreased HbA1c, reduction or reversal of arterial plaque buildup and a decreased incidence of a cardiac event occurring. Individuals are being diagnosed with CVD at a younger age, as are children. I identified a gap in current research during a comprehensive literature review which appeared to exclude participants from younger generations. Mostly all of the participants in the studied I analyzed were individuals of age 35 or above, most of which already had pre-existing conditions, or risk factors for CVD (obesity, diabetes etc.). My proposed study includes a population of younger individuals, between 18-28 years of age, in hopes to intervene and establish lifestyle modifications that prevent these illnesses from developing in the first place. Individuals will participate in an educational nutrition program over a period of time to determine if changes in eating habits are lasting and assess whether or not CVD risk factors develop. Americans spend so much money and resources treating illnesses instead of preventing them. Instead of treating the illness, we should focus on preventing the development of risk factors for that particular illness and a plant-based diet can do just that in regard to CVD development.
The Physiological Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet on Cardiovascular Health
Online - Session 2D
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is becoming increasingly more prevalent in today’s society and is attributed to an alarming percentage of American hospitalizations and deaths. Americans are unhealthier than ever before, and the main contributor is diet. Diet is a double-edged sword that can either offer benefits or detriments to one’s health. CVD is an umbrella term that consists of numerous diagnoses which originate from various underlying physiological alterations. These alterations ultimately originate from increased body weight and BMI, increased cholesterol levels, decreased insulin sensitivity and increased arterial plaque buildup. Through my research, I have found that a plant-based diet has the potential to manage and reverse all of the fundamental physiological alterations that lead to CVD.
Acquiring a plant-based diet can have many health benefits, such a decreased weight and BMI, lower LDL cholesterol levels, increased insulin sensitivity in cells, decreased HbA1c, reduction or reversal of arterial plaque buildup and a decreased incidence of a cardiac event occurring. Individuals are being diagnosed with CVD at a younger age, as are children. I identified a gap in current research during a comprehensive literature review which appeared to exclude participants from younger generations. Mostly all of the participants in the studied I analyzed were individuals of age 35 or above, most of which already had pre-existing conditions, or risk factors for CVD (obesity, diabetes etc.). My proposed study includes a population of younger individuals, between 18-28 years of age, in hopes to intervene and establish lifestyle modifications that prevent these illnesses from developing in the first place. Individuals will participate in an educational nutrition program over a period of time to determine if changes in eating habits are lasting and assess whether or not CVD risk factors develop. Americans spend so much money and resources treating illnesses instead of preventing them. Instead of treating the illness, we should focus on preventing the development of risk factors for that particular illness and a plant-based diet can do just that in regard to CVD development.