After three years, the Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a threat. In addition to the grief it created, the pandemic ended up teaching us lessons. Growing awareness of a healthy lifestyle, which includes using a balanced food, is one of the lessons. According to the survey results of Kerry Indonesia, a food ingredient company with headquarters in Ireland, there are three categories of reasons why someone chooses to consume healthy food: for physical health, for the health of the planet and the environment, and for dietary reasons. The consumption of plant-based diet is one example of a healthy diet that is currently in style.

Healthy food is becoming increasingly important in modern society. There are various healthy eating movements that regulate the types of foods that must be consumed and those that must be avoided, as well as how to control the frequency and timing of eating. This awareness of the importance of eating healthy foods often limits one's desire for certain foods. Everyone has different preferences. Some people prefer dishes made with meat because they find it more appetizing than vegetables. On the other hand, some people prefer vegetables and dislike meat. Some people prefer a combination of the two.

Plant foods have recently become increasingly popular and show an increasing trend, in line with the spread of healthy lifestyles. Plant foods, such as vegetables and fruit, are thought to be healthier and less risky than animal-based foods for a variety of reasons. There are also those who choose plant-based foods to reduce obesity or for ethical reasons. Whatever the motivation, eating more plant foods and less animal foods will benefit the body's health. The following is the more information about it.

Vegan, Vegetarian, Flexitarian

What does it mean to eat plant-based foods? It simply means eating daily foods that grow in the soil, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Nuts, legumes, and seeds, for example, contain protein, which is required for human cell growth and regeneration. Plant foods, of course, contain not only protein, but also macro and micro elements, as well as a variety of compounds that are beneficial to human growth and health.

In general, people who eat plant-based foods can be grouped into three types: vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian. The vegan type is very strict, does not consume animal food products or those derived from animals, including eggs. Those who apply this pattern generally have ethical or moral reasons. The principle is that killing a moving living being for consumption is considered an act of harm and immorality. There are also vegans for health reasons. They believe that food derived from plants in the long term is much healthier than animal food.

On the other hand, there are vegetarians who do not eat animal meat, but still consume non-meat foods of animal origin, such as milk and eggs, or their derivatives, such as yogurt and kefir. This type is called lacto-ovo vegetarian. There are also lacto vegetarians who consume milk, but abstain from eggs. In contrast, ovo vegetarians consume eggs, but abstain from dairy. Apart from that, there are also pesco-vegetarian types who eat fish, and pesco-pollo vegetarians who eat fish and chicken. So, this type of vegetarian is arguably not extreme against animal foods. They still have tolerance.

In addition, there are others who are referred to as the flexitarian type, which seems to be more fun. Quoted from kompas.com, flexitarian is a diet that can be regarded as flexible, it is permissible to consume plant and animal-based foods, only the portion of the plant-based foods is more than the animal-based foods. It seems that this is the loosest type with so many fans. If it is seen as stages, flexitarian is a step towards vegetarianism, while vegetarianism is a step towards vegan.

Healthy Plant-Based Foods

Most of the plant-based foods are healthy. But if the foods are processed with the addition of other ingredients, these foods can become unhealthy, especially for people with certain diseases such as kidney failure. For example, various snacks such as potato chips and various chips or other fried foods made from tubers. These ingredients undergo a process of the addition of other ingredients such as salt, sugar and flavoring (Monosodium Glutamate) with excessive levels. The foods are the frozen and fried in high temperature oil. Processed foods like this can be unhealthy, and have the potential to increase salt and sugar levels in the blood, which in turn can trigger a series of diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, one of which can threaten the kidneys. In fact, even many standard foods usually consumed by vegans are added with stabilizers or other additives, so that the texture is tantalizing and the taste is delicious and appetizing.

Foods in their natural, unprocessed form and have not been stripped of their nutrients, generally contain three main components: protein, fiber and phytonutrients (natural compounds produced by plants to protect them from pests and fungi). These phytonutrients are abundant in fruits, seeds, and nuts. Processing or cooking plant foods should as much as possible minimize the damage to these three main components. During vegetables boiling, for example, don't let them get mushy, just for a while so that the nutrient content is not damaged.

How healthy are plant foods? We often hear about the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and premature death. By eating plant foods, the body's metabolic engine is healthier so that it can improve the work of homeostasis (body balance), which can ultimately reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and premature death. A meta-analysis of 95 studies reporting the benefits of eating plant-based foods revealed that consuming 800 grams of fruit and vegetables per day can reduce the risk of heart disease and death, whereas consuming 600 grams of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer (Aune et al. 2017, Int J Epidemiol). Another study reported that consumption of plant-based foods can also reduce mortality from coronary heart disease (Jafari et al. 2021, Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr).

According to nutrition expert from Gadjah Mada University, Harry Freitag LM, the food that is digested in the intestines is always monitored by our brain. This process occurs because of the response of the nervous system near the intestinal mucosa that provides information to the brain to regulate the amount of food, blood sugar levels, glucose and sugar production in the liver. Several molecules in the digestive tract also contribute to provide signals to systems in the brain, such as cholecystokinin (CCK) and Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) (Duca et al. 2021, Nature Communications). This CCK signal will induce the digestion of fat and protein in the body by stimulating the gallbladder and increasing pancreatic secretion. CCK also signals the brain to create a sense of fullness. In addition to inducing insulin release, the hormone GLP-1 also acts in the brain to regulate body weight (Bagio and Drucker, 2014).

The gut microbiota also plays an important role in the digestion of food, influencing several natural processes and diseases in the body. For example, fiber that is converted into short chain fatty acids can modulate the immune system, is pro-inflammatory and plays a role in regulating the amount of food and energy needs. Then, the amino acid tryptophan can be converted by the gut microbiota into indole derivatives which will also modulate the immune system.

Likewise, dietary changes will affect the composition of bacteria in the gut. The shift from a low-fat, high-fiber diet to a high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber diet will lead to a decrease in alpha-diversity (intra-individual diversity of gut microbiota), an increase in beta-diversity (inter-individual diversity of gut microbiota), and a decrease in the number or even the extinction of prevotella and treponemal species, with lower butyrate levels (Kolodziejczyk et al. 2019, Nature Reviews Microbiology). Furthermore, the consumption of foods that contain a lot of saturated fat, animal protein, additives and low in fiber will reduce the population of good bacteria Bacteroidetes and increase the bad bacteria Firmicutes. In addition, foods high in fat and low in fiber will also increase intestinal PH and dysbiosis. In fact, high pH in the intestine can reduce the protection of the intestinal lining by good bacteria. Under normal conditions, good bacteria are able to prevent the growth of bad bacteria from attacking the lining of the human gut. If the composition of the intestine changes filled with bad bacteria, the body's immunity will decrease. This process of changing composition from the dominance of good bacteria to the dominance of bad bacteria is called dysbiosis (Riley et al, 2019).

In addition to containing protein, plant-based foods are also rich in fiber which helps reduce the risk of various chronic diseases. Another plus is that plant foods are also easy to fill up so they can curb the desire to overeat, so that body mass index is controlled, and the risk of obesity can be avoided. In addition, dietary patterns by consuming plant foods can control blood sugar and reduce HbA1c levels in the blood. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a vegan diet can reduce HbA1c 0.36% lower than a diabetic diet in general. In those who regularly follow a vegan diet, the decrease in HbA1c can be up to 0.6% lower than on a regular diabetic diet (Sajel et al. 2022, Evidence-based Practice).

The UK government issued a call in July 2015 to increase dietary fiber intake to 30 grams per day as part of a healthy balanced diet, as most adults consume only about 18 grams per day on average. Children under the age of 16 do not require as much fiber as teens and adults, but they do require more than they currently receive. Children aged 2 to 5 require approximately 15 grams of fiber per day, children aged 5 to 11 require approximately 20 grams, and children aged 11 to 16 require approximately 25 grams per day. There is compelling evidence that consuming a high fiber diet reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer. Furthermore, fiber foods. In addition, fiber foods also improve digestion and prevent constipation.

Furthermore, a meta-analysis of 21 studies found that eating plant foods can reduce inflammation. This effect was stronger in those who followed a vegan diet than in those who followed a vegetarian diet. The level of inflammation in both is still lower than in omnivores (consuming plant and animal foods). Surprisingly, the benefits of vegetarian diet on inflammation were even greater in those with impaired renal function (Menzel et al. 2020, Scientific Reports).

Natural Seasoning and Delicious Cuisine

According to the above description, the benefits of eating plant-based foods are undeniable. The only issue is the taste alone. Plant-based foods are frequently less tasty than animal-based foods. For example, clear vegetable spinach mixed with Moringa tastes less delicious than fried meat or curry offal. So the challenge is to figure out how to turn vegetable ingredients into delicious and appealing food or snacks. In this case, the right combination and amount of spices are essential for delicious and healthy cooking. Naturally, the natural spices used, such as various spices, salt, and sugar, are not excessive. Many restaurants and food manufacturers now label their products as "MSG free" and use only natural spices.

Nutritionists are still divided on whether MSG (in moderate doses) is harmful to one's health. However, our culture, particularly food stalls and processed food producers, loves to use MSG in large quantities in cooking because it is a quick and easy way to make food delicious, even though this method has the potential to harm health in the long run. In a culture like this, reducing MSG use and replacing it with natural spices is worth the effort. Because Indonesia is a tropical country with the most diverse spices in the world, it is not difficult to find the right spice composition for each dish.

Djoko Santoso
Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga
Chairman of Health Department, Indonesian Council of Ulama, East Java

Translated from Indonesian:
Tren Makanan Nabati Pascapandemi
by Djoko Santoso