Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurological disease, affecting around 1% of those over 60 years old and 3% of those over 80 years old in industrialized countries. For this study, researchers from Queen’s University in Belfast examined data from 126,283 participants from the UK Biobank cohort over the course of nearly 12 years, during which time, 577 participants developed Parkinson’s. The researchers found that participants who reported eating more healthy plant-based foods were 22% to 25% less likely to develop the disease, accounting for genetic risk factors.

“We showed, for the first time, that eating a dietary pattern high in healthy plant-based foods reduced the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 22 percent,” study author Aedin Cassidy, PhD, tells Forks Over Knives. “Simple changes to the diet, including increasing the intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and tea, may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s. To date, there is no cure for PD, so strategies for prevention and reducing risk are really important.”

The Impact of Unhealthy Plant-Based Foods on Parkinson’s Risk

While the research found a healthy plant-rich diet helped curb Parkinson’s risks, the study emphasized that unhealthy plant-based foods present significant risks. The researchers showed that a general plant-based diet only reduced the risk by 18%. Additionally, the participants consuming more unhealthy plant-based foods, such as refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts, faced a 38% higher risk.

“Our novel study strengthens the knowledge around the health benefits of adhering to healthy plant-based dietary patterns, in this case, providing novel data that higher adherence reduces [Parkinson’s disease] risk,” says Cassidy. “These results are important to help refine and inform public health messages that consider plant-based diets and provide evidence that simple dietary change has the potential to reduce PD risk.”

More than analyzing the three dietary patterns, the researchers examined how specific foods impacted the participants’ risk levels. Higher consumption of nuts and tea reduced the risk of Parkinson’s by 31% and 25%, respectively. Eating more vegetables, such as greens, carrots, broccoli, kale, or tomatoes, lowered the risk by 28%.

Evidence proving that dietary patterns affect the risk of Parkinson’s disease is limited, but this study aims to better understand how food impacts brain health. Research indicates that diets rich in fiber, vitamins, and bioactive compounds can prevent chronic diseases by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

“Following a healthful plant-based diet could prevent the development of neurological conditions by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation and exerting neuroprotective effects,” Cassidy says. “Evidence is also growing to support the role of our gut microbiome, with a healthy plant-based diet enhancing the diversity of the bugs in our gut and producing neuropeptides.”

Eating Healthfully to Protect Your Brain

This study contributes to the expanding body of research linking what we eat to our brain health. A 2023 study from researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found that a plant-forward diet is associated with a younger brain age; the researchers suggested this may be because plant-rich diets tend to promote healthy weight management and reduce oxidative stress. The results showed that a 1% reduction in body weight was linked to a nine-month decrease in brain age.

By contrast, meat consumption has been linked to higher risks for several neurological diseases. A 2021 study found that regularly consuming processed meat was associated with a significant spike in dementia risk. But simply cutting meat isn’t the only step to protecting brain health. Previous research has shown that healthier plant-based diets help fight against memory loss in older age. A study published in Neurology showed that the healthiest eaters were 24% less likely to have cognitive decline.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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A vegan diet eschews all animal products. Mediterranean diets, meanwhile, exclude all red meat and are largely plant-based but include some fish, chicken, and dairy. For this study, Italy-based researchers compared the environmental footprints of the two diets using a life cycle assessment—an analysis of the environmental impacts of products during their entire life cycle. They found that although animal products only make up about 10% of the average Mediterranean diet, their inclusion makes the diet significantly less environmentally friendly than it would be without any animal products: By the researchers’ calculations, vegan diets produce 44% less environmental impact. The assessment was based on a theoretical 2,000-calorie diet.

“Despite the low content of animal foods, the Mediterranean diet has shown a total environmental impact higher than that of the vegan diet,” says Luciana Baroni, MD, one of the study’s authors. “The diet of each person is important because it represents the most powerful single action to affect the health of the environment. We won’t get very far as a species if the environment poisons us, makes us sick, and doesn’t provide us with the resources to survive. Unfortunately, people don’t know this, because they only hear recommendations,at most, to reduce meat consumption to combat climate change.”

Eating Healthfully to Protect the Planet

A growing body of research underlines how cutting meat and dairy products can help better protect the planet from climate change and pollution. Another 2023 study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that vegan diets are the least environmentally damaging diet.

The study found that vegan diets generate 0.7 kg of carbon dioxide per 1,000 calories consumed whereas a meat-heavy diet, such as keto, generates 3 kg of carbon per 1,000 calories. Additionally, a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health in 2022 found that healthier foods such as plants, grains, fruits, and vegetables offer the lowest environmental impact, signifying a correlating relationship between foods that are good for human health and good for the planet.

By contrast, diets primarily featuring animal products, especially beef, present significant threats to the environment. Animal products require 83% of the planet’s farmland, despite only producing 18% of the world’s calories. Overall, research indicates that animal products, even in low-meat diets such as in the Mediterranean, produce notable environmental consequences, such as wasted energy and excessive methane emissions.

“Research agrees that the consumption of animal foods is the main determinant of the environmental impact of a diet,” Baroni says. “Switching to a vegan diet is not only the most powerful action any of us can do for the planet but also the cheapest and the easiest.”

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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Researchers led by Vivian Liu, a clinical research coordinator for the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the university, examined men who had already been diagnosed with prostate cancer and remained at risk for the cancer growing or returning following treatment. Liu and her team observed more than 2,000 participants to determine how diet might influence prostate cancer outcomes, finding that participants eating more plant-based foods displayed a 52% lower risk of disease progression and a 53% lower risk of recurrence compared with those whose diets contained the least amounts of plants.

Eating to Beat Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is currently the second-most common cancer among men, with an estimated 288,300 new diagnoses and 34,700 deaths expected this year. Risk factors include age and certain gene mutations. Additionally, African Americans are disproportionately impacted by the disease. Despite the risks, Liu notes that this study provides evidence that men can protect themselves from prostate cancer with a simple dietary solution.

“This is something men can do for themselves with a healthy grocery shopping list,” Liu told The Washington Post. “And it doesn’t require drugs or other medical interventions.”

The researchers observed 2,038 men with early to midstage prostate cancer, observing how plant-based diets correlated with cancer survivorship by using data from the CaPSURE Diet and Lifestyle (CDL) sub-study. The plant-based sub-study research started in 2004 to allow researchers to track changes in prostate cancer patients. To conduct the study, the participants were asked to complete questionnaires about the foods they ate. Participants weren’t provided any information about the study’s designated purpose.

Using the data, Liu and her team observed how dietary patterns affected prostate cancer recurrence and progression for a median period of 7.4 years. During the study period, only 10% of participants (204) experienced advances in prostate cancer, which Liu emphasizes is a low number. Liu also noted this study provides clear evidence that eating more plant-based foods offers significant benefits for those fighting prostate cancer.

“While not all diets are equal in terms of modifiable risk factors for prostate cancer progression, we hope these results guide people at risk to make better, more healthful choices across their entire diet,” Liu said in a statement.“We’ve known that diets that include vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains are associated with numerous health benefits, including a reduction in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality. We can now add benefits in reducing prostate cancer progression to that list.”

The study was presented last week at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. The team aims to continue this research in the coming years. Liu plans to analyze how plant-based diets affect prostate cancer mortality rates and quality of life following a cancer diagnosis.

Animal Products Associated With Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer

This recent study joins a growing body of research showing that plant-based diets can help reduce cancer risks, whereas diets high in animal products significantly increase the risk of cancer. For example, a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016 found that men who followed a vegan diet had a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer.

One study published in 2022 found that men who consume dairy on a regular basis have a 60% greater risk of developing prostate cancer than men who completely avoid dairy. However, dairy is not the only culprit. Several studies have linked the consumption of meat—and in particular, processed meat—with prostate cancer risk.

Liu and her team’s research supports previous evidence that a healthier diet can slow or stop several types of cancer. A 2011 study showed that a low-fat, plant-based diet positively impacts survival rates for those diagnosed with breast, colon, skin, and prostate cancers.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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The United States Department of Agriculture is proposing to expand the number of vegan dairy products included in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The food-assistance program, which serves about half of all infants born in the United States, aims to support the health and general well-being of women and children nationwide who suffer from nutritional deficiencies or food insecurity.

The proposed measures will increase the level of dairy and eggs provided to WIC users, but the USDA included alternatives to give users a choice to eat plant-based. The USDA will include product substitutes such as soy yogurt and vegan cheese as well as tofu.

“USDA is committed to advancing maternal and child health through WIC, helping mothers, babies, and young kids thrive,” Tom Vilsack, U.S. secretary of agriculture, said in a statement. “These proposed changes will strengthen WIC … by ensuring it provides foods that reflect the latest nutrition science to support healthy eating and bright futures.”

Treating Nutrient Deficiency With Plant-Based Foods

About 94% of Americans suffer from at least one nutrient deficiency. By introducing more vegan options and plant-based whole foods to nearly 6 million participants nationwide, the USDA is effectively working to fill nutritional gaps. If the proposed changes are approved, WIC will also offer participants a greater number of whole grains, a larger volume of fruits and vegetables, and canned beans, in addition to dried.

“It is great to see USDA’s new proposed rule increase WIC’s fruit and vegetable benefit,” says Sen. Cory Booker. “The new WIC package will strengthen a program that is proven to help mothers and babies flourish.”

“For the more than 6 million moms, babies, and young children who participate in WIC—and the millions more eligible to participate—these proposed revisions have the potential to make positive, life-long impacts on health and well-being,” says Stacy Dean, USDA deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services.

The USDA is taking comments on its new proposed updates until Feb. 21, 2023.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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With the help of YouGov, Veganuary found that committing to a New Year’s resolution makes people happier and more hopeful on average at the start of the new year, and that those adopting a vegan or vegetarian diet for their resolution tended to be more optimistic than others about the year ahead.

“The fact that I learned about Veganuary on the radio just driving down the road makes me hopeful that plant-based living is becoming more and more thought about, normalized, and easy to achieve,” Veganuary 2022 participant Anne, age 52, of Watkinsville, Georgia, said in a statement. “Learning the numbers Veganuary shares with us about the impact it makes on the environment and the people it reaches and how many people participate makes me feel very hopeful as well!”

Veganuary intends to encourage people worldwide to try eating healthier and more sustainably at the start of the year. The global movement has enlisted over 2.5 million since its founding in 2014, with participants from nearly every country in the world. A YouGov poll found that 85% of non-vegan past participants have reduced their animal-based consumption since their first Veganuary.

Vegan New Year’s Resolutions

The YouGov poll also reveals the most common resolutions for 2023. The YouGov survey found that 34% of resolution-makers hope to eat healthier overall; 28% intend to budget better; 28% wish to reduce stress; and 39% aim to exercise more. Veganuary primarily intends to instill hope in consumers everywhere, helping encourage people worldwide to fulfill their resolutions.

“Many of us could use a little hope right now,” Wendy Matthews, Veganuary’s U.S. director, said in a statement. “But hope isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s taking steps that lead to the changes we want to see. Participating in Veganuary is a powerful way to start the year off with positive action, no matter what your resolution.”

Following last year’s Veganuary challenges, 49% and 48% of participants recorded having improved energy and enhanced mood, respectively.

Plant-Based Debuts For Veganuary 2023

Similar to last year’s campaign, several major brands including Wicked Kitchen, Aveda, Violife, and more are debuting vegan items to celebrate the movement. New York City is celebrating Veganuary with its first-ever vegan dining month. Several restaurants are participating in the event hosted by the food and travel website Vegans, Baby.

“I am so excited to launch Vegan Dining Month in NYC after running it for six years in Las Vegas,” Diana Edelman, Vegans, Baby founder told Forbes. “The city has such a dynamic vegan dining scene, and I am thrilled to create an event here that encourages people to dine out during the month and give restaurants—both vegan and vegan-friendly—a try for a good cause.”

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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