What if just one lifestyle change could help you avoid getting cancer or diabetes or

heart disease or high blood pressure?

This one change could cut your risk of chronic disease and add years to your life.

Well, the simple solution to so many of these problems is to eat a healthy diet.

In other words, one centered around whole plant foods.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Brecker.

As you know, I like to put things to the test and today we're going to ask you to do that

with your diet using the phytochemical index.

Anything with word chemical enemies out a little fishy, but phytochemicals can be good

for you.

Here's the first story.

How do you rate the quality of people's diets?

Well, what could be more nutrient dense than a vegetarian diet?

Indeed, if you compare the quality of vegetarian diets compared to non-vegetarian diets, the

more plant-based diets do tend to win out and the higher diet quality and vegetarian diets

may in fact help explain better improvements in health outcomes.

However, vegetarians appear to have higher refined grain intake, eating more foods like

white rice and white bread that have been stripped of much of their nutrition.

So just because you're eating a vegetarian diet doesn't mean you're necessarily eating

optimally healthy.

Those familiar with the science know the primary health importance of eating whole plant

food.

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