Benefits of a Vegan Diet

If you considering switching to a plant-based foods but are wondering about the benefits of a vegan diet, you will be glad to know that omitting animal products from your dinner plate may actually be good for your health.

In a 2008 Harris Interactive® telephone poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group, 5 percent of respondents said that they never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry. About half of these vegetarians are also vegan, meaning they do not consume these dairy or eggs. This means more than 7 million Americans already enjoy the many benefits of a vegan diet.

Many vegans adopt the dietary lifestyle to avoid the exploitation of animals but more and more people are turning to veganism because of the health benefits a plant-based diet provides.

The Benefits of Eating a Vegan Diet

Well-planned plant-based diets are extremely nutritious, providing all the protein, calcium, iron, and other nutrients the human body needs. Food from plants tends to be low in saturated fat, salt and calories, and high in fiber. A plant-based diet is also rich in antioxidants.

A vegetarian diet can reduce your risk for developing certain medical conditions, according to the American Heart Association, including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and some types of cancer.

A vegan diet also reduces your risk for obesity. A new study published by the Obesity Society shows that people who eat a plant-based diet with no calorie restrictions lose more weight than those who eat low-calorie meals that include meat. That publication notes that a vegan diet is associated with lower body mass index (BMI), lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes, and less weight gain as a person ages. Participants in the study who consumed vegan and vegetarian diets lost an average of 8.2 to 9.9 pounds over eight weeks, compared with those who consumed meat and lost only 5.1 pounds in those weeks.

If you are considering switching to a vegan diet and are interested in learning more about its benefits, make an appointment with Anderson Chiropractic.