The macrobiotic diet was originally created to increase longevity, but studies have shown that it can help in other important cases.
What are the Macrobiotic Diet Health Benefits?
The macrobiotic diet has been scientifically proven to bring many health benefits. Longevity was the primary objective, but studies have shown that this diet has other benefits too.
1- Cholesterol Blood Levels
Actually, most people think that fat is the only food source that can cause high cholesterol blood levels but no! carbs also can do. Bad sources of carbohydrates (processed) and even normal sugar if consumed in excess!
The macrobiotic diet has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease, especially high blood cholesterol levels. Because it is a low-fat and low-carb diet. Controlling your daily intake of carbs and fats will improve your blood cholesterol levels, and that’s what the macrobiotic is doing.
High-Fat Foods Excluded by the Macrobiotic Diet
- Broth , meat , sausages, processed fish, fatty fish, offal.
- Animal milk and dairy products: margarine, butter, cheeses, cream, lard, processed industrial oils, mayonnaise, and pastries.
High Carbs Foods Excluded by The Macrobiotic diet ( That may cause High blood cholesterol levels)
- Juices
- Soft drinks
- Pastries, cookies, chocolates.
- Sweetened yogurt
- Soda
- Syrups
- Table sugar (even brown), jam, candy, sweeteners, artificial glucose, and industrial sugar.
2- Improuve Insulin Resistance
Insulin Resistance is a disorder that occurs in people who have a family member with diabetes, or who have a predisposition to type 2 diabetes.
In the normal case, when we eat sugar, the excess must be stored by insulin, which is the hormone that insists on stopping the excess sugar from circulating in the blood (because if it remains circulating in the blood it’s called hyperglycemia, which is a symptom of diabetes).
In the case of insulin resistance, the body’s cells don’t accept and resist insulin, so sugar may remain in the bloodstream, leading to diabetes! With the macrobiotic diet, we don’t have this problem, because it’s a low-carb diet.
3- Improuve Cardiovascular Health
Fat and Sugar
Heart arteries are sensitive to fat, so an overconsumption of foods rich in cholesterol or saturated fats (very common in dairy products and fatty meats) may lead to heart health disorders, but fortunately they are eliminated by the macrobiotic diet.
The macrobiotic diet is therefore low in saturated fats and processed carbohydrates (starchy foods, industrial sugar),[…]
Salt
According to the yin and yang principle of the macrobiotic diet, table salt is a processed food that is not recommended. Only unrefined grey sea salt is allowed, of course, in reasonable quantities.
Excess salt is one of the main causes of high blood pressure. Also, some industrially processed foods contain excess salt as a chemical preservative, such as camembert and canned tuna. Fortunately, they are not part of the macrobiotic diet.
4- Reduce Inflammation
Processed Foods
Processed foods generally contain alpha-gliadin, hordinin, zenin. These are inflammatory substances generally found in processed starchy foods, such as rice, pasta, wheat. Also, canned foods containing additives, enhancers and colorants are foods that stimulate inflammation.
When we compare this to the macrobiotic diet, we can see that the macrobiotic diet is a diet that preserves health and prevents inflammation. However, it is far from being recommended by dieticians to relieve inflammation because, a so-called pro-inflammatory diet must be established in this case. The diet must be balanced and personalized to each patient and his conditions, avoiding restrictions but ensuring the best quality foods.
Cooking Methods
Yes, there is a link between the macrobiotic diet and reducing inflammation. The macrobiotic diet recommends the best cooking methods, avoiding cooking at very high temperatures. This avoids destroying the nutritional value of food and prevents the release of toxins that cause inflammation.
5- Weight loss
The macrobiotic diet is a weight-loss diet because it is a low-carb and low-saturated fat (animal fat) diet. It’s also a restrictive diet that encourages you to improve your cooking methods and avoid fried food, for example since it’s a cooking method that can lead to weight gain. So almost all the recommendations for weight loss are present in the macrobiotic diet. If you want to lose weight , here 7 days of healthy macrobiotic diet.
6-Effect of Macrobiotic diet on Cancer
There is no scientific evidence that the macrobiotic diet is effective against cancer. On the contrary, the macrobiotic diet should be strictly avoided if you have cancer.
Let’s ignore the myths circulating everywhere, especially on social media, about the diet of cancer. The only way to fight cancer through diet is to follow our disease with multidisciplinary follow-up (with a group of healthcare professionals including dieticians and nutritionists, your specialist doctor, psychologist). Because in cancer, it’s essential to have blood tests before anything. The diet also depends on the patient’s situation, analyses, physiological state and weight.
In general, we recommend a balanced diet for cancer patients, correcting certain dietary errors according to their health conditions.
7- Does macrobiotic diet Increase Lifespan?
Yes! By preserving our health, we are increasing our lifespan! But it doesn’t work in all cases. The macrobiotic diet can have a negative impact on certain people who should not follow it: children and teenagers, the elderly, in case of malnutrition, pregnant and breastfeeding women, athletes. Here more details : How Does the macrobiotic diet increase lifespan?
8- Can a macrobiotic diet Help in Weight Gain ?
The macrobiotic diet can help you lose weight, just as it can help you gain weight, depending on the amount of calories and choice of food.
In fact, the macrobiotic diet has a list of foods rich in good-quality fats and high-calorie foods that increase weight : Tahini, sesame butter, and oleaginous fruits.
Here we offer you a 7-days of vegan/ macrobiotic diet to gain weight.
Is The Macrobiotic diet vegan?
The macrobiotic diet is neither a vegan nor a vegetarian diet, since it includes animal foods to be consumed during the transition phase (in limited quantities):
- Natural honey and beehive products
- Lean fish, occasionally, and white fish
- shellfish, organic smoked salmon
- Goat’s cheese
Is Macrobiotic diet Better than Plant-based diet?
The macrobiotic diet is closer to nature than the vegan diet. The macrobiotic diet is richer and more balanced and therefore prevents certain nutritional deficiencies that can occur in the vegan diet.
What’s more, the macrobiotic diet involves not only the choice of foods but also yin and yang balance. In other words, it also focuses on the right cooking methods, just like our ancestors.
The vegan diet, on the other hand, does not focus on these things, for example: eating French fries every day is also vegan.
Macrobiotic diet Risks
The macrobiotic diet is not a diet that a dietician can prescribe. An unbalanced diet is never recommended. It can lead to serious health consequences.
- Lack of calcium, which works in synergy with vitamin D, can lead to hormonal dysfunction, as vitamin D is a key hormone precursor.
- It also has a risk of magnesium deficiency, vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin, calories, proteins and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA (important for brain cells).
Bottom Line
The macrobiotic diet is a diet that has been created after many experiences and research based on Asian medicine. It’s a diet that has many advantages, especially in terms of cooking methods and food choice (elimination of processed and industrial foods), but we can’t ignore the consequences that can result from its restrictions.
