They found that people following a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet or vegan diet reported higher levels of mental clarity, emotional stability, and better coping mechanisms during the peak of stress and burnout amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to those following a standard American diet (SAD).
Participants answered questionnaires about how often they ate certain foods, and whether they followed a special diet (vegan, vegetarian, Mediterranean, etc.). Researchers noted that those who didn’t fit into a specific diet category or who didn’t report eating mostly WFPB were frequently consuming meat and dairy, ultra-processed foods, soda, and fast food, with less frequent consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and high-fiber foods, which they categorized as followers of SAD.
Those following a WFPB or vegan diet also experienced significantly lower stress levels—51% of those respondents reported they had no stress at all. Additionally, those following a WFPB or vegan regimen exhibited greater emotional resilience, confidence, and control. On the flipside, those adhering to a SAD were significantly more likely to experience feelings of nervousness, emotional distress, and anger.
“When we’re stressed and overwhelmed and emotionally upset…we find comfort in comfort foods,” Jaswal tells Fortune. In the study, however, Jaswal observed that people eating a whole food, plant-based diet had better psychological resilience and ability to handle stressful situations when they arose. “Those people were eventually able to experience a better stress response,” she says.
“They also—seemingly from our study—had that extra bandwidth to overcome that desire to reach for an unhealthy snack, but they were able to supplement and replace that with a healthier behavior instead,” such as a healthier snack or opting for movement over snacking, Jaswal says.
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