How A Vegan Diet Can Benefit Your Health

Written By Natalie Wilson / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

There are many reasons why someone will choose to be a vegan. One of the main reasons people choose to be vegan is to be more sustainable, whilst other people will be on a vegan diet because it can be debated to be healthier.

A vegan diet has grown in popularity in recent years and is becoming more popular. Many studies have shown that a vegan diet can be highly beneficial for your health, which is one of the reasons why so many athletes also have a vegan diet. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the reasons how a vegan diet can benefit your health. 

A Vegan Diet Is High In Vitamins and Minerals

A vegan diet can be rich in a lot of nutrients however, there are some key vitamins and minerals that are very low in a vegan diet. When you make the switch from the traditional western pattern diet to a vegan diet, you will be eliminating meat. Meat, in particular red meat, is rich in both vitamin B12 and vitamin D - something hard to find in fruit and vegetables.

Without consuming any meat, you will eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. These foods contain a lot of fiber which is good for your gut. They are rich in antioxidants, plant compounds, potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamins A, C and E. They are also rich in iron, which is good for your blood, carrying oxygen around the body.

As mentioned before, a vegan will be lacking in vitamin D and B12. However, there will be other vitamins that a vegan will lack as well. When choosing a vegan diet, you want to ensure that you are tracking all of your vitamins and minerals. For a healthy diet, we require a nutrient-dense diet so it is important you know that you are keeping on top of those vitamins and minerals.

It May Help You Lose Weight

If you are looking to lose weight, you want to track your calories on top of the nutrients that you are having. However, some people might not have the time to track their calorie intake every day.

One of the reasons why people will choose to be on a vegetarian or vegan diet is to help them lose weight. There have been some studies that have supported this. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence that supports the fact a vegan diet helps to lose weight.

Calorie intake is very important for you gaining or losing weight. It is okay to have a vegan diet but you still have to track your calories. Another great way to lose weight is to exercise.

May Help Lower Blood Sugar and May Improve Kidney Function

Some studies have also shown that a vegan diet may potentially reduce declining kidney health. Another thing to mention is that a vegan diet will usually have lower blood sugar levels compared to those who are non-vegan.

Additionally, there was a study back in 2009, showing around 43 percent of participants who consumed a vegan diet reduced the dosage of blood sugar- lowering medication.

Another study has shown those who suffer from diabetes and substitute meat with vegetarian protein reduce the likelihood of having poor kidneys. However, there is not enough evidence that proves that this is true.

Overall, there have been some studies that have shown a vegan diet can reduce type 2 diabetes. Again, there has not been a sufficient amount of evidence to prove that this is the case.

Is It Recommended That Vegans Take Supplements?

It is advised that those following a vegan diet should take supplements alongside their diet, with one of their meals. The reason being is that they are likely to be deficient in both vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

Although the foods that a vegan diet includes are rich in many nutrients, they still lack some. Maybe adding a multivitamin to your diet would be a good way to ensure that you are getting a little bit of everything.

The human body naturally produces vitamin D when it is in direct contact with sunlight for longer than 15 minutes. However, during the winter, there is very little sunlight - meaning that it is going to be difficult for you to meet your daily requirement. However, meat-eaters will be able to have their daily requirement through red meat.

Moreover, you could have a vitamin D supplement if you believe you are not reaching your daily requirement. We suggest that you contact your local GP to make sure that it is safe to do so before taking any supplement.

Summary

There are several health benefits to a vegan diet although it needs to be done correctly. Those on a vegan diet need to track the nutrients that they are having. If you are doing vegan meal prep, you must track those macro and micronutrients. Furthermore, if you don't have the time to prepare your meals, you could always order your meals.

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Written By:

Natalie Wilson is a freelance health and wellness writer. She loves researching and writing about new health trends and topics, as well as keeping up to date with the latest health news. When not writing, you can find her taking long walks in the countryside with her dog or browsing her nearest bookstore. You can connect with her on Twitter @NatWilson976.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Farhad Ibrahimzade on Unsplash