What happened when 13,768 people ate more mindfully?

What happened when 13,768 people ate more mindfully?

A large French study shows it is a key factor in choosing healthier, plant-based diets, offering new insights into improving public health and sustainability.

In a study recently published in the journalScientific reportsResearchers conducted a large cross-sectional study to examine the relationship between mindful eating (ME) and the quality of a plant-based diet. The study used questionnaire data from 13,768 French adults to examine the statistical associations between Mind-Eat Scores and PDI Plant-Based Diet Index (PLDI) scores.

Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyzes showed that higher ME levels corresponded to improved PDI and healthy PDI (HPDI) intakes, while showing a negative association with unhealthy PDI (UPPDI). The subgroup analyzes further highlight that participants with higher ME scores are more likely to increase their plant intake (and adhere to peswetarian, vegetarian, or vegan lifestyles) while curbing their meat and dairy intake. However, no connection was found between me and fish consumption. Together, these results suggest that I can promote the adoption of healthier and more sustainable diets.

background

Mindful eating (me), as defined in this study, is the practice of being present, mindful and nonjudgmental while eating, and responding to internal cues rather than external or emotional triggers.

Decades of nutrition and clinical studies have established the benefits of a plant-based diet for human well-being and environmental sustainability. Studies have shown that adherence to plant-based diets can significantly reduce individuals' risks of mortality, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and other chronic and infectious diseases.

In contrast, adherence to a diet high in red meat consumption has been associated with several adverse health and environmental outcomes. Unfortunately, the widespread adoption of plant-based diets remains undeterred and highlights the need to identify consumer needs and implement targeted strategies to meet these needs through effective dietary interventions.

Mindful eating (ME), the practice of heightened awareness (of the eating experience), and non-judgmental awareness (of consumer responses) during food consumption can help researchers and policy makers better understand consumer choices and dietary recommendations to meet these needs in a healthy and sustainable manner.

Unfortunately, previous ME studies have focused on its impact on environmental sustainability, but they have failed to compare the association of ME with different dietary regimes (plant-based versus animal-based diets) and its impact on healthy and unhealthy nutrient-based nutritional outcomes.

About the study

Gratitude Environmental Roots: The “Gratitude” dimension specifically measured appreciation for food sources and preparers that strongly link eco-perceptions to plant-based choices.

The present cross-sectional study addresses current literature gaps by examining associations between total ME, plant-based dietary patterns, and eating habits in a large adult population. Study data were obtained from participants in the French Nutrinet-Santé study, a large web-based prospective cohort to elucidate relationships with nutritional health.

The cohort overrepresented health-conscious individuals (older, female, and well-educated), limiting generalizability. Data were collected using questionnaire-based nutritional assessments, demographic records (including age, gender, and educational status), anthropometric measures, medical records (including physical activity and health status), and socioeconomic records. ME (Total and Subdimensions) was estimated using the Mind Eat Scale (French version, 24 items). ME subdimensions consisted of 1. awareness, 2. non-reactivity, 3. openness, 4. gratitude, 5. non-judgment, and 6. hunger/satiety.

Participants' dietary intake was estimated using 24-hour dietary records (three sets of three) reported during study integration and every 6 months thereafter. Dietary effects were assessed by first categorizing participant-reported foods into 18 groups (7 healthy plant-based, 5 unhealthy plant-based, and 6 animal-based) and then using the Plant-Based Diet Index (PDI), the Healthy PDI (HPDI), and the Unhealthy PDI (UPDI) (UPDI) to assess personal health out-CHOMMEs.

Associations between ME and nutritional indices (DIS) were calculated using multivariate linear and logistic regression models adjusted for demographic and lifestyle factors. To disentangle consumers' psychological characteristics associated with their dietary choices, these models were repeated for each of the six subdimensions examined.

Study results

Evolutionary Empathy: Humans show weaker concern for fish than mammals due to evolutionary distance, explaining why I have not reduced seafood consumption.

Of the 28,857 Nutrinet-Santé participants who completed the Mind Eat Scale test, only ~48% provided complete data sets, limiting the final sample cohort to 13,768 volunteers (mean age = 62.46, 28.35% male, 39.64% college educated).

ME score assessments showed that older individuals generally exhibited higher ME scores than men, as did men with higher socioeconomic status, more physically active participants, and retired individuals. The higher ME was positively correlated with better plant-based diet scores (β = +1.19 for PDI, β = +1.00 for HPDI, β = −0.48 for UPDI).

People who reported high ME levels were also more likely to report lower consumption of meat and dairy products. However, they did not show reduced fish consumption. They showed a higher likelihood of being vegetarian (OR = 2.19), pesco-vegetarian (OR = 1.56), or vegan (OR = 1.35). Subdimensional analyzes confirmed these results and further highlighted that “gratitude” and “openness” were most closely associated with healthier plant-based diets.

Notably, the subdimension of “out of stock” was associated with increased consumption of unhealthy plant-based foods, while “hunger/fullness” showed no association with healthy plant-based diets or vegetarianism. “Non-reactivity” and “awareness” showed weaker but significant associations.

Conclusions

The present study establishes a significant positive association between higher ME levels and improved nutritional choices. Participants who were conscious of their food showed increased consumption of healthy, plant-based foods and reduced reliance on meat and dairy products. The nuanced subdimension findings highlight different psychological pathways to dietary decisions.

While this cross-sectional study requires further longitudinal evidence to verify causation, it identifies key behavioral drivers for sustainable nutrition interventions. The possibility of reverse causality, that plant-based diets themselves may promote mindful eating, remains an important consideration.

These results highlight mindful eating as a promising, psychologically informed approach to promoting sustainable and healthy dietary changes. Incorporating practices into dietary guidelines or interventions can support transitions toward plant-based diets and benefit public health and the environment.

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