More and more people these days are choosing to leave meat off their plates—and for good reason. Whether it’s to drop a few pounds, improve health, support animal welfare, or reduce their environmental impact, plant-based living is becoming a lifestyle shift worth considering.
If you’re thinking about making the switch but wondering what actually happens to your body when you stop eating meat, you’re in the right place. Below are seven eye-opening health benefits of going plant-based that might just inspire you to take the plunge.
1. Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Drops
Shocking but true: nearly 40% of Americans are considered pre-diabetic, putting them on a fast track toward type 2 diabetes. According to Forks Over Knives, a big culprit is animal protein—especially from red and processed meats.
Why? Meat is loaded with animal fat, heme iron, and preservatives like nitrates, all of which are linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, weight gain, and even damage to pancreatic cells. These are all pathways to diabetes.
On the flip side, plant-based diets have been shown not only to prevent but sometimes even reverse type 2 diabetes. The nutrients and antioxidants in whole plant foods help your body function better at the cellular level, even influencing gene expression related to cell repair.
2. Your Gut Microbiome Gets a Major Upgrade
Inside your body live trillions of microbes—collectively known as the microbiome—that play a huge role in your digestion, immune system, and even gene regulation. Think of them as your body’s internal ecosystem.
When you eat mostly plant foods, you’re feeding the good bacteria thanks to all that fiber. But diets heavy in meat, eggs, and dairy promote the growth of harmful gut bacteria, especially those that convert nutrients like carnitine and choline into TMAO, a toxic compound linked to heart disease.
With a plant-based diet, your gut gets more fiber, less inflammation, and better overall health. And the production of TMAO? Practically nonexistent.
3. Your Cholesterol Levels Come Back Down to Earth
A diet rich in meat, cheese, and other animal products often means elevated LDL cholesterol—a known risk factor for strokes and heart disease. The saturated fat in animal products is a major contributor.
But here’s the good news: studies show that switching to a plant-based diet can lower cholesterol by up to 35%. Whole foods like fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains contain zero cholesterol and very little saturated fat, making them powerful tools for heart health.
4. You Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation isn’t always bad—it’s how your body heals wounds and fights infections. But chronic inflammation is a different story and can lead to heart disease, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and more.
Animal products, especially heavily processed ones, are known to trigger low-grade inflammation in the body. In contrast, plant-based foods are naturally rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, like antioxidants, fiber, and phytonutrients. A plant-forward lifestyle helps keep your immune system in check and your inflammation levels low.
5. You Still Get Enough Protein—The Healthy Kind
Worried about getting enough protein without meat? You’re not alone—but it’s one of the biggest myths out there.
Most people eat more protein than their bodies actually need, and the excess doesn’t build more muscle—it often just gets stored as fat. Not to mention, too much animal protein has been linked to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Plant-based proteins from beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, and grains provide everything you need—without the baggage. As long as you’re eating enough calories, you’ll get the protein your body needs to thrive.
6. You Contribute to a Healthier Planet
Going plant-based isn’t just about personal health—it’s a win for the environment, too. Did you know that animal agriculture is the number one contributor to greenhouse gas emissions?
It also drives deforestation, pollutes water sources, contributes to species extinction, and consumes massive amounts of land and resources. To make things worse, much of the world’s crop production is used to feed livestock, not hungry people.
By cutting out meat, you’re helping reduce environmental damage and making a stand for a more sustainable and compassionate food system.
7. You May Even Turn Off Cancer Genes
Yes, you read that right. Research has shown that plant-based diets can actually change gene expression in a positive way. In one study involving men with prostate cancer, those who adopted a plant-based lifestyle saw a reduction in the expression of cancer-related genes.
Whole, unprocessed plant foods are packed with nutrients that support your body’s ability to repair DNA and protect against cancer development. It’s like giving your cells a fresh start.
Final Thoughts
Giving up meat isn’t just about what you lose—it’s about what you gain. Better health, a happier gut, lower disease risk, and even a lighter footprint on the planet.
Whether you go fully vegan or just start reducing your meat intake, every plant-based choice you make is a step toward a healthier, more conscious lifestyle. And who knows? You might just feel better than you ever imagined.
