Real Food Cuts IBD Risk
A massive study following over 143,000 people in the UK for 14.5 years has confirmed something we’ve known all along: a healthy plant-based diet isn’t just about ethics — it’s a powerful shield against disease.
Published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, this research cut through the usual noise about “balanced” diets. It found that those who ate more whole, unprocessed plant foods — fruits, vegetables, whole grains — had a lower risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Specifically, a healthy plant-based diet slashed the risk of ulcerative colitis by 8% and Crohn’s disease by 14%.
On the other hand, plant-based diets heavy on refined grains and oils actually increased the risk of Crohn’s disease. It’s a reminder that simply removing animal flesh from a plate isn’t enough.
The study also dug into why healthy plant-based diets work. Researchers measured inflammation markers like white blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP), finding that these dropped in those consuming real plants. Anti-inflammatory power is one more reason a plant-based diets align with our biology — and why trying to fix diet-related diseases with pills and surgeries is like patching up a sinking ship with tape.
Crucially, fruits and vegetables stood out as the most protective foods. Not protein powders. Not mock meats. Actual plants.
We don’t need to slice open animals or pour milk down our throats to survive — or thrive. We need to stop viewing other beings as resources and start seeing plants for what they are: the real foundation of human health and longevity.
So when someone tries to justify “humane” slaughter or “ethical” dairies under the banner of “health,” show them the data. Health is on the side of those who refuse to commodify sentient lives.
Choosing a healthy plant-based diet isn’t just a nutritional upgrade — it’s a rejection of an entire mindset that sees bodies, both human and non-human, as disposable.
In short: eat plants. Save lives. Including your own.