Chronic diseases plant-based diets

Chapter 9 provides some of the background evidence suggesting a role for phytochemicals in health promotion and disease prevraition. In this chapter Hu reviews and summarizes epidemiological research on plant-based foods and dietary patterns and concludes that there is substantial evidence that healthy plant-based diets—those with adequate omega-3 fatty adds, that arc rich in unsaturated fats, whole grains, fraits and vegetables—can, and should play an important part in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. ... 

A predominantly plant-based diet reduces the risk of developing several chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) coronary heart disease and stroke. It is often assumed that antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, the carotenoids (e.g., / -carotene, lycopene, and lutein), selenium, and the flavonoids (e.g., quercetin. 

There is a considerable body of evidence to suggest that populations that consume diets rich in fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals, and complex carbohydrates have a reduced risk of a range of chronic diseases. This has led to the suggestion that the diversity of substances found in food, particularly plant-derived or plant-based foods, may underlie the protective effects that are attributed to... 

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