Body Composition, Nutritional and Cardiovascular Status and Lifestyle Factors of Adults Who Are on Plant-Based Diet

In the study investigators will voluntarily enroll all participants within inclusion/exclusion criteria that are willing to participate in the study. Investigators will anticipate that for approx. 150-200 healthy adult PBD participants investigators will require approx. 2555 invited and interviewed candidates, of both sexes, aged 18-80 years, without restrictions on current body mass index (BMI) status, that are on PBD for 0.5-10 years and live a healthy and active lifestyle.

The methods to be used are a medically approved bioimpedance body composition monitor (Tanita, 780 S MA, Tokyo, Japan), medically approved body weight scale and body height gauge (MPE 250K100HM), a 3-day dietary record (3-DR), one adopted by NIH: socio-demographic, economic status and motive for PBD questionnaire, and three standardized questionnaires: (1) habitual and organized physical activity, and the frequency of sitting (IPAQ-long), (2) stress (PSQ-30), and (3) quality of sleep (PSQI).

Concerning 3-DR, the study participants will weight and record all foods, beverages consumed, as well as leftovers, and dietary supplements over three consecutive days (two weekdays and one weekend) using electronic kitchen scales. The study participants will choose the day of the beginning of dietary recording within a given period (i. e.: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Thursday, Friday, Saturday). When exact weighing will not be possible (e.g., in case of eating out), household measures (spoon, cup, glass, etc.) and a picture book with household measures in adults' portion sizes (photos of reference foods with their actual gram weight) (NIJZ, 2016), allowed semi-quantitative recording. For the evaluation of dietary intake, investigators will use dietary software, Open Platform for Clinical Nutrition (OPEN), which is a web-based application (http://opkp.si/) and has been developed by the Jozef Stefan Institute and supported by the EuroFIR AISBL (http://eurofir.org) and the European Federation of the Association of Dietitians (EFAD). Dietary software has been upgraded to 3-DR methodology.

Food intake data (from 3-DR) will be used for assessment of energy, macro- and micronutrients intakes using OPEN. The energy and nutrient contents of commercial food or home prepared foods, will estimated by recipe simulation using labelled ingredients and nutrient contents. OPEN will be continuously updated by adding those products or recopies recorded by study participants on PBD.

In order to assess the nutritional intake from dietary supplements, we will use Res-Pons d.o.o. services, which professionally manages the database with all dietary supplements products on the Slovenian market (Pretehtajte.si, 2018).

Investigators will also record their maximum (lifetime) body weight, body weight upon entering the PBD lifestyle, and using data taken blood analysis to collect their basic biochemistry results, measured in a standard and comparable method (plasma lipids, uric acid and a hemogram), and data on current blood pressure status.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults, age from 18-80 years, on PBD longer than 0.5 years.
• PB dieters who may have some kind of food intolerance or food restriction (e.g. gluten, tomato, peanuts, citrus, etc.).
• No restriction on participants current BMI
• Knowing (BIA measured) PB dieters baseline BM and fat %
• Currently smoking tobacco products is not an exclusion criterion, but we will record it and report in demographic data

Exclusion criteria

• Adults on PBD but with active diseases (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease ect.).
• Adults on PBD with the current use of drugs for measured blood markers (lipids and blood pressure).
• Without major musculoskeletal restrictions
• Pregnant and lactating woman
• Currently competitive or top level athletes