What Role Do Plant-Based Diets Play in Supporting the Optimal Health and Well-being of Canadians? A Scoping Review

Abstract

In Canada, unhealthy diets are associated with several chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, and thus negatively impact the health and well-being of Canadians. Consequently, unhealthy diets are associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in Canada. Recently, plant-based diets have gained in popularity due to their ability to provide a diet that is nutritionally adequate and health-conscious in addition to supporting environmental sustainability. The adoption of plant-based diets may address the substantial need to improve the health and well-being of Canadians, while also having a positive global environmental impact such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of this scoping review was to identify current knowledge on the nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets and their relation with chronic conditions to support improved health and well-being of Canadians while identifying gaps in knowledge. Canadian peer-reviewed literature on diet, nutritional quality, and chronic conditions published between the years 2010 and 2020 were systematically examined. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria, with the majority pertaining to the relation between animal- or plant-based nutrition and cancer. Epidemiological studies support the practice of plant-based diets, in comparison to omnivore diets, as a strategy to improve nutritional adequacy and reduce the development of chronic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and select cancers such as endometrial, colorectal, and breast cancers. Overall, plant-based diets offer an opportunity to improve the health and well-being of Canadians while simultaneously working to counteract climate change, which may have a global reach. Gaps in knowledge were identified and mainly pertained to the lack of valid Canadian quantitative assessments of the long-term health impacts of plant-based diets. Further research should be completed to quantify the long-term health effects of the practice of a plant-based diet across all demographics of the Canadian population.

Keywords: Canada; chronic conditions; diet; diet quality; health; omnivore; plant-based diet; plant-based nutrition; vegetarian; wellness.