By: Makena Dyck
Every year more and more people worldwide make the choice to become vegan and eat a plant based diet. Personally, I have been a vegetarian for 3 years and have recently made the switch to a fully vegan diet. I and many others are vegan due to ethical beliefs around the way animals are treated in meat and dairy industries. Recently I’ve wondered what health benefits come from eating a plant based diet.
A Vegan Diet Is Richer In Certain Nutrients
Switching from a typical western diet to a vegan diet means eliminating all animal products and byproducts. Vegans rely on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and nuts as their food source. Studies show that vegan’s increased consumption of fresh produce compared to a regular meat eater is much greater. Therefore, proving a vegan diet to be richer in certain nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E. This benefit shows in properly balanced meals. A meal with vegetables, beans and brown rice, is packed with nutritional benefits. Compared to vegan fast-food like vegan “meats”, which lack nutritional benefit. Vegans miss out on certain vitamins. Studies recommend taking certain supplements. Such as vitamin B12, found in most animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin because it maintains the health of nerve and blood cells, as well as preventing anemia.
Proven To Lower Risk Of Developing Heart Disease And Certain Cancers
Vegans can lower the risk of developing heart disease by 46% because eating fruits, vegetables and fiber are linked to reducing the risk of heart disease, which is eaten in large amounts in a vegan diet. When you eat fruits, vegetables and fiber in abundance, you reduce blood sugar levels, LDL and total cholesterol levels. Which significantly reduces the risk of heart disease. This study concluded that participants who followed the low-fat vegan diet, reduced their dependence on certain medications, lost weight, lowered LDL cholesterol levels more than those on the A.D.A’s recommended diet. A plant based diet can lower the risk of developing cancer because plants produce many phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are chemical compounds made by plants, believed to protect cells from damage, which could develop into cancer. Vegans also don’t eat processed meats, often linked with cancer and other health problems.
Several health benefits come with a vegan diet. The goal of this blog isn’t to try to convince you to be vegan, but to promote its benefits. I believe that everyone could benefit from eating more plants because it’s a much more sustainable way of living. Because it requires less resources to grow plants compared to animals. Even if you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, limit your consumption of processed foods or reduce your intake of meat you can improve your overall health.
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