Going vegan seems to be a common trend, especially amongst celebrities, but does that mean it’s a good idea? There are many advantages that people are well aware of, but how aware are they of the cons? Going vegan can lower your cholesterol, your blood pressure and increase your antioxidant intake.
While these things may seem great, there are plenty of negative aspects to this diet too. Going vegan is a radical change and can be even more difficult if you cannot eat certain ingredients that are commonly found in foods, especially while eating out. Although in major cities, vegan restaurants are becoming more common, in certain parts of the word it makes getting a balanced diet extremely difficult. People believe that by going on this diet they are going to be healthier, but there is nothing that proves this significantly improves your health versus a well-balanced diet, exercise and proper fitness regimes.
Before going vegan, it is extremely important to consult a doctor first to know how to properly go about it. There are many websites dedicated to becoming a vegan, such as Vegan Society, but they don’t touch upon any negative aspects. Two huge factors to keep in mind are the need for protein and getting enough vitamins such as calcium, vitamin d and b-12. There are supplements and other ways of getting these necessities, but unless you’re becoming a Vegan because of beliefs, it’s not the best diet to go on if you’re doing it as a fad. If you plan on becoming a vegan make sure you’re completely informed and know how to get all the proper nutrients in order to remain healthy. 
Going vegan is not something that’s easy to do and while I personally don’t see the point in going vegan I commend people who are able to successfully be vegans for any length of time. Maybe it’s just the way I am, but I after a few days of not eating meat I tend to feel lethargic and just like I’m not eating enough so going vegan isn’t something I could ever do. What I do know is a lot of people try becoming vegan in an attempt to improve their overall health. This made me think, does not eating meat really make us healthier? In an article I read on The Wall Street Journal website, both sides of the argument are actually presented and it is up to the reader to decide which is the healthier option. One side says that eating moderately eating meat in your diet is better for you because you reduce your risk of not getting essential nutrients like protein, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B12. On the other hand, it is said that it is probably good idea to cut animal based protein because of the facts that the more meat you eat the likelier you are to have things like higher blood pressure and the opportunity to actually prevent or revers over 50% of existing diseases. So its up to you, could you cut out meat for those added benefits or is it in your opinion?
The article I talked about from the Wall Street Journal can be found with this link
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390444184704577587174077811182
Going vegan is definitely not for everyone. I had a friend who decided to go vegan, and after a few months her doctor told her that her body was not able to function without the numerous foods that she cut out of her diet. I feel that people these days are going vegan for all of the wrong reasons. These people are also likely to be the ones who don’t fully research the diet before they begin, and end up having health problems. For anyone who wants to try being a vegan, I’d recommend trying vegetarian first, and then working your way to vegan. If anyone is confused on the difference between vegan and vegetarian, this link highlights some of their major differences:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Vegan_vs_Vegetarian
Hey Jenna!
I actually did a two part post on whether vegetarians are any healthier than meat eaters. Here is a link to the first part:
http://www.personal.psu.edu/afr3/blogs/siowfa13/2013/12/-vegetarians-are-strange-people.html
The study that I analyzed supporting vegetarianism as a whole had so many flaws that I had to take the findings with a grain of salt. However, in the second part of my study, when I analyzed the risks of vegetarianism that there is some solid evidence to support the claim that it can be very unhealthy. This is because vitamin B-12, which you briefly mentioned above, is an essential nutrient only found naturally in meat and dairy. Because vegans don’t eat either, they are at risk for many more diseases.