What Makes a Plant-Based Diet Work {BETA}

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Once again, thank you so much for agreeing to help with our new wellness newsletter. As promised, this is one of the test/beta versions of the women’s health + wellness digest we’re developing. You’ll see {BETA} in the subject line to indicate it’s part of the preview batch, not the final product.

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—Nicolle, Editor

In today’s digest, we break down the health stories that keep popping up. We look at plant-based eating beyond the trend cycle, unpack why probiotics don’t always do what we expect, explore new evidence linking compassion to well-being, examine why some beauty brands follow stricter EU safety rules, and cut through supplement hype with real science. We conclude with a simple but powerful reminder about sleep because longevity starts there. Don’t miss our Vital News section, either!

Plant-based eating keeps creeping into family kitchens for health reasons, environmental concerns, or just because someone in the house suddenly decided they’re “done with meat.” A massive new review (the largest of its kind) suggests that vegetarian and vegan diets can support healthy growth in kids, but only when they’re intentionally built, not improvised.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 48,000 children and teens worldwide. They found that plant-based diets were higher in fiber, iron, folate, and vitamin C and were linked to better cardiovascular markers, such as lower cholesterol levels. The flip side? Certain nutrients consistently came up short—especially vitamin B12, calcium, iodine, zinc, and sometimes protein—unless families were using fortified foods or supplements.

In other words, vegetables alone aren’t the whole plan. A kid (or adult) living on pasta, oat milk, and good vibes isn’t automatically “healthier.”

Plant-based eating works best when it’s designed, not assumed. That means:

Experts stress that families don’t need to abandon plant-based eating, but they do need to approach it with a little strategy, especially during growth years.

Bottom line: Plant-based diets can be nourishing, heart-healthy, and sustainable, but only when key nutrients are actually on the plate (or in the supplement drawer). Thoughtful beats trendy, every time.

This one surprised me because it’s advice we’ve all heard forever.

New research looking at 15 randomized trials found that taking probiotic supplements while on antibiotics doesn’t meaningfully restore gut bacteria. In fact, the boost to microbiome diversity was basically negligible.

Why? A few reasons:

There is one exception: certain probiotics can help prevent antibiotic-related diarrhea, but only specific strains, and only with certain antibiotics.

What does seem to help more consistently?

👉 Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sourdough.

The takeaway: probiotic supplements aren’t useless, but they’re often oversold. If you’re trying to support your gut during or after antibiotics, food may do more than capsules.

As always, if you’re considering probiotics for a specific reason, it’s worth looping in your doctor.

Here’s a surprisingly comforting finding: people who show compassion toward others — listening, helping, empathizing — tend to feel more satisfied with their own lives, according to an extensive new analysis published in Scientific Reports.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 40 studies and found that compassionate people consistently reported greater joy, greater meaning, and higher overall well-being. This was true regardless of age, gender, or background, indicating that this isn’t just a personality quirk but a fairly universal human effect.

Interestingly, compassion didn’t magically eliminate stress or sadness, but it did consistently enhance the feeling that life is more full and meaningful.

Do one small, low-effort act of kindness today, like sending a thoughtful text, holding the door, or checking in on someone, and notice how you feel afterward.

Here’s something I didn’t fully appreciate until I read a recent story in CosmeticsDesign: the U.S. and Europe operate under very different rules regarding what’s allowed in skincare.

In Europe, cosmetic ingredients are regulated under some of the strictest safety standards in the world. In the U.S.? Brands have a lot more leeway. That’s why some indie brands choose to adhere to EU standards even when they don’t legally have to.

One founder interviewed for CosmeticsDesign explained that sticking to EU regulations means excluding ingredients like mineral oil, sulfates, and certain silicones that are still common (and legal) in American products — not because they’re trendy villains, but because they don’t meaningfully support skin health.

It’s more expensive, more complicated, and slower. But the payoff? Ingredient transparency, more substantial safety margins, and long-term consumer trust.

🧴 Try This

Transparency beats buzzwords.

If it feels like everyone is taking something right now, that’s not your imagination. Nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults use dietary supplements, fueling a $60 billion industry—much of it driven by wellness marketing rather than solid evidence.

A new deep dive from Stanford Medicine cuts through the noise, with nutrition experts breaking down the most persistent supplement myths and the science that doesn’t quite support them.

Here’s what stood out:

Most people don’t actually need supplements.

Outside of actual deficiencies, pregnancy, restrictive diets, or specific medical conditions, most nutrients are better absorbed from food than from pills. Supplements can help fill gaps, but they’re not a shortcut to health.

“Natural” doesn’t mean safe.

Supplements aren’t regulated like medications, which means purity, dosage, and quality can vary widely. Some have been found to contain heavy metals or interact dangerously with prescription drugs. This is especially important if you’re on antidepressants, blood thinners, or hormone therapies.

More isn’t better (and can be worse).

High doses of certain vitamins and minerals can be harmful, causing nerve damage, arrhythmias, liver stress, or impaired absorption of other nutrients. Multivitamins that combine competing minerals (like calcium and iron) may not deliver what the label promises.

Supplements can’t replace the basics.

Even the most promising compounds don’t surpass the basics: sleep, movement, whole foods, and recovery. As a Stanford expert noted, supplements often result in “very expensive urine.”

At the same time, researchers and policy experts are calling for tighter oversight of the supplement industry, arguing that products should meet clearer safety and accuracy standards before they reach store shelves, not after problems arise.

The big picture:

Supplements can be helpful tools, but they’re not harmless, always necessary, or a replacement for evidence-based care. If something claims to fix everything, that’s usually a signal to slow down and ask better questions.

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