The Science of Plant Power

In Part 1 of our “Power of Plant-Based Eating for Chronic Disease Management” series, we focused on the lifestyle medicine approach and the role of fibre in a plant-based diet to improve heart health, blood sugar balance, and overall wellness.

In this next part, we’ll explore some of the science behind how plants nourish your body on a deeper level—starting with the gut microbiome, antioxidants, and essential nutrients. From prebiotics and probiotics to key vitamins and minerals, this blog breaks down how plant foods work together to prevent and manage chronic disease.

🦠Prebiotics and Probiotics

Plant foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables are considered probiotic foods that can help contribute to healthy bacteria in your gut microbiome. These foods are important to include alongside prebiotic fibres, which feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. Prebiotic fibres include inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides. These fibres are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains (3).

Several clinical studies have shown that probiotic foods can be beneficial in managing and preventing cardiovascular diseases, obesity, insulin resistance and Type II diabetes (5). The research around the efficacy of various strains, as well as the effect of combining prebiotics and probiotics in chronic disease management is ongoing (2,3).

Antioxidants and Phytochemicals

🧪 What Are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are nutrients that protect your body from free radicals — harmful molecules that can damage healthy cells (1).

💥 Why Are Free Radicals a Problem?
Too many free radicals can raise your risk of:

• 🧬 Cancer
• ❤️ Heart disease
• ⚠️ Cell damage and aging

Common examples of antioxidants found in plant foods include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Carotenoids and Flavonoids. These nutrients are found in a variety of dark and brightly coloured vegetables and fruit such as bell peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits, berries, and kiwi as well as healthy fats from nuts, seeds and avocados.

Aim to include 2-3 servings of fruit or vegetables at each meal to help lower your risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease. It is important to note that a plant-based pattern of eating can help limit your intake of saturated fats and reduce free-radical production (1).

🥦 Nutrients to Consider on a Plant-Based Diet

When following a plant-based diet, we still need to be intentional about getting key nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin D, calcium and Omega-3’s.