A topic I am really passionate about in nutrition is veganism. Personally, I follow a plant-based vegan diet for ethical reasons. However, there are so many health benefits to eating this way and I feel as if there are many common misconceptions and a lack of knowledge surrounding this diet. Many people are concerned there is a risk of nutrient deficiency and a lack of protein in a plant-based diet while others do not even know what veganism means.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, their position is that vegetarian and vegan diets are extremely healthy. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that, “appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes”. The academy recognizes that following a diet like this can cause reduced intake of certain nutrients, but deficiencies can easily be avoided by eating the right foods. Also, our bodies have mechanisms for adapting to a vegan diet and absorption of nutrients actually increases overtime. When it comes to protein, the Academy says vegan diets either meet or exceed the recommended protein intakes. Additionally, plant proteins are often considered incomplete. However, when consuming a variety of plant proteins throughout any given day a vegan diet provides all of the essential amino acids one would get from a complete protein.
Now that those major concerns have been to rest. Let’s talk about the benefits of a plant-based vegan diet. There is evidence to support the use of vegan diets to treat obesity. Those following a plant-based diet have the lowest mean BMI and generally have a lower weight when compared to omnivores. Therefore, vegan diets can be beneficial in losing/maintaining weight and treating obesity. According to the Academy, “vegan diets seem to be the most beneficial in improving heart disease factors”. Basically, vegans have a very low risk for heart disease – especially when compared to other Western diets. This is because key characteristics of a vegan diets are high fiber, low total fat, low saturated fat and low cholesterol. Additionally, compared to meat-eaters vegans have a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Vegan diets can be used not only as prevention but also as treatment for type 2 diabetes. The Academy also states that, “a vegan diet appeared to confer a greater protection against overall cancer incidence than any other dietary pattern”. When ensuring an adequate caloric intake, nutritional adequacy and a focus on a variety of vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, all of these benefits can be evident.
Above is what a typical day of following a plant-based vegan diet would look like.
A common question I get ALL the time when telling people I follow a plant-based vegan diet is, “What do you eat?!” Many people think you can only eat “rabbit food” and are unaware that there are so many delicious foods you can eat when following this kind of diet. There are so many vegan options in every grocery store! Some common vegan foods are non-dairy milks (soy, almond, cashew, coconut, hemp), fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew), oatmeal, cereals, chips and salsa, hummus, popcorn, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, tofu, tempeh and many many more. There are also vegan options for some of your favorite foods like non-dairy yogurt and ice cream, vegan meat substitutes, vegan cheeses, vegan butter, vegan whipped cream, vegan mayo and my personal favorite vegan cookies. There are endless amounts of combinations of vegan food that taste great. You can go here for some helpful information about transitioning to a vegan diet. Following a vegan diet is not as hard as many people imagine it to be and the health benefits definitely outweigh the little bit of extra effort that has to be made.
References
Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Academy Nutr Dietetics. 2012;116:1970-1980.