There has been an explosion in interest in veganism, in recent years, driven largely by concerns about health, animal welfare and the environment. From Beyoncé and Jay Z, to former Man v. Food host Adam Richman, the vegan diet seems to be becoming the diet rule rather than the exception. A 2014 infographic put together by TopRNtoBSN.com found the number of vegans has doubled since 2009, with a little more than 69 percent of the 8,000 Americans surveyed being vegan. It’s no surprise, then, PETA tends to be the diet’s biggest advocate.
Vegans, for the uninitiated, do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or any products derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatin. Eggs, cheese and meat are obvious no-nos but so is mayonnaise (contains eggs), some pastas (ditto), and wine (some alcoholic drinks use fish bones or proteins from other animals as part of the production process). As well as making sure you are not accidentally consuming animal products, one of the main challenges of going vegan is to make sure you’re not missing out on any key nutrients.
Following a vegan diet puts you at risk of getting insufficient vitamin D, which is needed for bone health. To get this through diet, vegans may need to rely on fortified foods, including some types of soy milk, rice milk, organic orange juice, and breakfast cereals. You may also want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Cow’s milk is our main source of iodine and non-dairy alternatives, such as almond milk, have much lower levels. You can get iodine from seaweed (though the amounts are unpredictable) but you will probably need to take a supplement. The other big concern is getting enough vitamin B12. You won’t find it in seeds, nuts or vegetables, so vegans and vegetarians will need to stock up with fortified breakfast cereal or nutritional yeast.
Does it work?
A recent analysis, which pulled together the results of 10 previous studies comparing the health of vegetarian and vegans against that of omnivores, suggests it will. The researchers found being a vegetarian or vegan was associated with a significantly lower risk of heart disease and cancer, though there was no difference in all-cause mortality. In other words, being a vegetarian or vegan was associated with being healthier but not necessarily with living longer. I say “associated with” because these were not the gold standard randomized controlled studies, where you take a large group of people and randomly allocate them to being vegan or omnivorous and see what happens. Such studies would be very hard to do. Instead, they compare people who are vegans with meat eaters and look for differences. Since vegans are likely to be more health conscious than the general population, it is possible that the health differences have nothing to do with the diet itself.
PETA and science would agree vegan and vegetarian diets are beneficial to humans, animals, and the environment. They’re also nutritionally sound: Eating more fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and legumes, generously increases a person’s daily dose of healthy vitamins, protein, and fiber. That said, there’s a lot to consider when mulling over either one of these diets. For one, veganism is very restrictive. While protein and iron can be otherwise sourced, vitamin B12 — another vitamin rich in animal products — is harder to get. Health reported B12 supplements “keeps the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and…make DNA, so deficiencies can lead to tiredness, weakness … nerve problems, and depression.” There’s also a tendency for meat-free eaters to fill the animal void with processed foods. It may be less to think about, but Health added these options aren’t as nutritionally sound and can cause a person to feel hungrier and grumpier.
And a study published in the Humane Research Council found 10 percent of vegans and vegetarians will abandon their diet. Former vegetarians told the HRC they disliked their diet for making them stick out in a crowd, preventing them from interacting with others, maintaining a diet different from their own. The trick, as experts like Mark Bittman would tell you, is not to go all-vegan or all-vegetarian at once; gradually phase meat out of your diet, while adding more vegan- and vegetarian-friendly options; Meatless Mondays are a great way to do this. Don’t forget, too, to note the vitamins and nutrients you’ll have to work a little harder to get without meat.
Will you lose weight?
The answer is no! Your weight can sway in either direction, or remain the same. Just because it’s vegan, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Think about it: cookies, chips and juice can easily be vegan. These foods are often loaded with sugar and simple carbohydrates, which are key players in packing on the pounds. If you want to become a vegan, make sure that you focus on plant-based foods that DON’T have any label. This means choose vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains whenever possible. And try to stick to water or unsweetened tea as your beverage of choice. As far as your waistline is concerned, it is possible to eat too much of a good thing. What do I mean by this? Well, a lot of new vegans can easily overdo it on the starchy and fatty foods. Avocados, nuts and vegetable oils are “good fats” that are excellent for your health. (Seriously, we should eat them every day.) But keep in mind they are fats. Fats are more calorically dense than other foods. For example, every gram of fat houses 9 calories, vs. every gram of carbohydrate and protein, which are only 4 calories per gram. If weight management is a concern, try to keep it to 1/4 of an avocado per meal or snack, 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of oil at a time and a small handful of unsalted nuts.
Are you overdoing it on the sugar? I see a lot of vegan bloggers touting sugar filled smoothie bowls or 100% fruit smoothies. I do not recommend this (unless you are planning to exercise and burn use up all that glucose later on). Here’s the deal: while fruit has countless amazing health properties, it is a source of fructose (or fruit sugar). It’s the same as any food, if we consume more than we burn, it can easily turn into fat, which can cause weight gain. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend that any kind of smoothie or breakfast bowl be balanced with fruit, vegetables, protein and healthy fats (if you can fit those in there, too). More specifically, I try to limit any fruit in a smoothie to 1 cup. to double your portion of veggies, making it 2 cups per serving.
Consider satisfaction. If weight loss is the only motivation for becoming a vegan, you’re in trouble. It’s important to be happy and satisfied about your diet. The fact of the matter is that while we do recommend primarily plant-based eating, you do not have to be vegan (or even vegetarian) to lose weight. Choose a diet that works best for you and try to make it as healthy as you can.
Source: BBC News, Medical Daily