The pros and cons of a vegan diet
The reasons people eat a vegan diet vary. Some are compelled by the environmental impact of confinement animal feeding operations (CAFO). Others are guided by ethical concerns or religious reasons. Others believe it to be a healthier diet. So, how “healthy” is the vegan style of eating? Here, we break down the facts.
What does a vegan diet look like?
Vegans go one step further than vegetarians in not only do they not eat meat or fish, they also do not eat any products that comes from animals. This is including, but not limited to, eggs, dairy, honey and even marshmallows, some sugars and many types of beer and wine.
Vegans have to carefully read the packaging on anything processed that they purchase, as some products can be surprising. For example, some refined beans are vegan, where as others are made with lard.
Advantages
- Weight loss: A healthy weight loss is a typical result of a smart vegan diet. Eating vegan eliminates most of the unhealthy foods that tend to cause weight issues.
- Reduced saturated fats: Dairy and meat products contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing this from your diet, it is claimed you improve your health, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.
- Cholesterol: By eliminating any food that comes from an animal and you will eliminate all dietary cholesterol.
- Protein: That protein is good for your body is no surprise. It may be a surprise to learn that many people eat too much protein and in forms such as red meat that are not healthy ways of getting protein. Beans, nuts, peas, lentils, and soy products are all great ways to get the right amount of protein in a vegan diet.
- Prostate cancer: A major study showed that men in the early stages of prostate cancer who switched to a vegan diet either stopped the progress of the cancer or may have even reversed the illness.
- Breast cancer: Countries where women eat very little meat and animal products have a much lower rate of breast cancer than do the women in countries that consume more animal products.
- It’s more sustainable: You may be surprised to hear that agriculture is one of the most difficult industries to sustain. The production of meat and other animal products place a heavy burden on the environment – from crops and water required to feed the animals, to the transport and other processes involved from farm to fork. The vast amount of grain feed required for meat production is a significant contributor to deforestation, habitat loss and species extinction. On the other hand, considerably lower quantities of crops and water are required to sustain a vegan diet.
Disadvantages
- A radical change: Going vegan is a huge change and can sometimes be even more complicated if you are not allowed to eat certain ingredients such as soy. Some people may experience sudden dangerous weight loss and depleted energy levels as your body gets use to the change. It’s best to change your diet slowly.
- Potential interference with existing medical conditions: If you have a condition such as osteoporosis or diabetes, it is critical to consult with your physician and a registered dietitian when starting and implementing a vegan-eating plan, as a vegan diet may interfere with your condition.
- Difficulty sustaining: Not only do few restaurants offer true vegan choices (apart from a bowel of wedges), but it will become very difficult to eat at friends’ houses, barbeques and formal events. You would have to get into the habit of carrying your own food and snacks.
- Loss of essential vitamins and minerals: There is evidence to show vegan diets do not contain vitamin B12, an essential nutrient.
- Cost: Vegan powers, vitamins and specialty foods are not only hard to find, but heavy on the wallet
The verdict
Overall, the frustratingly neutral answer to the question “is the vegan diet healthy” varies from case to case. For example, someone could eat nothing but lettuce, beans and potato for a month. It would technically be a vegan diet, but it would be far from healthy. In terms of micronutrients, a vegan diet is actually more susceptible to being nutritionally poor. However, a well-planned vegan diet has potential to be more health conscious than a carnivorous one. Mary Lynch, registered nutritionist and an ex member of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s nutrition team says “Much of the improvement in diets among vegans is a result of education rather than going meat free. In other words, if someone chooses to go vegan they are more likely to care about what they are eating and therefore are more likely to educate themselves on the types of foods they should and should not be eating”.
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