Veganism is an eating lifestyle that excludes the use of any animal products. Many people adopt a vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons, but many don’t know that veganism could also be the key to better health.
Being vegan has endless health benefits, from losing weight to lowering disease risk. If you are searching for a way to improve your health, going vegan may be the perfect solution for you.
The Health Benefits Of A Vegan Diet
Vegan Vitamins have numerous health advantages, such as a decreased risk of chronic diseases. All these can be obtained from a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet, including:
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Diabetes
- Some types of cancer.
Generally, vegans experience fewer illnesses and fatalities from some degenerative disorders. Fresh produce, legumes, and fibre are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. These foods are typically present in higher quantities than the typical Western diet in well-planned vegan diets.
Observational studies comparing vegans to vegetarians and non-vegetarians have found that vegans may reduce their risk of high blood pressure by up to 75%.
The chance of dying from heart disease may also be lower in vegans, though additional research is required to understand this association fully.
Additionally, numerous randomised controlled trials show that compared to other diets, vegan diets are significantly more effective at lowering blood sugar, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels.
Lowering high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels may reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 46%, which may be especially advantageous for heart health. In addition, whole grains and nuts are heart-healthy and are abundant in a balanced vegan diet.
Different Types Of Vegetarian Diets
Although the term “vegetarian” typically refers to a “plant-based” diet, there are several different vegetarian diets. Several factors, such as one’s health, the environment, ethics, religion, or economic circumstances, determine the vegetarian diet one chooses to consume.
The primary vegetarian lifestyles include:
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian
People who are lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy products (such as milk), eggs, and plant foods in addition to no meat or fish.
Lacto-vegetarian
People who eat dairy products and plant foods instead of meat, seafood, and eggs are lacto-vegetarians.
Ovo-vegetarians
Ovo-vegetarians consume eggs, plant foods, meat, fish, and dairy products. Vegans are those who only consume plant-based diets and shun all animal products.
Two other diets that do not precisely adhere to the vegetarian lifestyle but yet emphasise cutting back on or restricting the use of animal products are:
Pescetarian
People who are pescetarians incorporate fish, dairy products, eggs, and plant items in their diets instead of meat.
Flexitarian
People who eat plants primarily but occasionally consume small amounts of meat and fish are said to be flexitarians, also known as semi-vegetarians.
Generally, people who eat a pescetarian or flexitarian diet frequently do so in order to reap the health benefits of a primarily vegetarian diet without completely giving up meat.
How can you meet the nutritional requirements of a vegan diet?
If you follow a vegan diet, ensure it has all the necessary nutrients. This is even more crucial if you are expecting, intend to become pregnant, are nursing, or have young children who eat vegetarianism. Meeting your nutritional needs will be simpler if you eat various foods.
If a vegetarian diet is not carefully planned, essential elements, including protein, several minerals (particularly iron, calcium, and zinc), vitamin B12, and vitamin D, can be more challenging to obtain.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why people choose to become vegan, from ethical concerns about animal welfare to health benefits. While a few potential health risks are associated with veganism, most research shows that vegans are healthier than meat-eaters.
References:
Are there health benefits to going vegan? – BBC Future.
Vegetarian and vegan eating – Better Health Channel
Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet
Might a Vegan Diet Be Healthy, or Even Healthier? – Animal (De)liberation
