How curious are you about knowing a bit more about the Vegan diet?
A vegan diet is the latest trend, especially among millennials and gen z. It’s getting popular, and more and more people have started adopting a vegan diet. At the same time, there needs to be more clarity about the pros and cons of adopting this diet, especially for those who can benefit from it.
People indeed have their reasons when they adopt a vegan diet. Few have ethical reasons, like reducing cruelty to animals or considering the negative impact on the environment by consuming an animal-based diet. Few also think of health benefits, and few do it out of curiosity or because it’s the latest trend.
Let’s understand a bit more about the Vegan diet.
Plant-based diet:
In most straightforward language, it is a plant-based diet, and all animal products are avoided in a vegan diet.
(1) Food which can be consumed:
- Lentils, legumes & pulses
- Dry fruits and seeds
- Fruits
- All vegetables, including leafy greens
- Whole grains
- Plant-based oil
- Fermented food
- Calcium-fortified plant milk (soya, oat, almond)
- Tofu, tempeh, and seitan
- Sea algae like spirulina, chlorella, seaweed
- Nutritional yeast
(2)Food which cannot be consumed:
- Meat and poultry
- Fish and seafood
- Milk
- Milk-based products (yoghurt, buttermilk, cheese, cream, ghee, butter, chocolate, ice cream etc.)
- Eggs
- Bee products like honey, royal jelly etc.
- Animal ingredients added to commercial food items like gelatine, fish oil etc.
However, it is vital to understand that animal ingredients are added to various products, including food, clothing, medicines, cosmetics, and alcohol. In addition, they are often hidden and unlabelled. In that case, it becomes almost impossible to avoid all animal-based products. In these situations, it is best to familiarise oneself with animal-based ingredients if you wish to avoid them.
Pros of going vegan:
- Helps to lose weight quickly: A vegan diet is a plant-based diet and naturally low in calories compared to an animal-based diet which helps in shedding weight faster.
- High fibre content: Our modern diet lacks fibre. By adding a plant-based diet, we start consuming more fibre which helps improve our gut health and gives protection against many ailments.
- Protection against Chronic ailments: Improved gut health + reduced weight = Reduced diabetes + reduction in cholesterol + drop in blood pressure = Reduced risk of heart attacks and heart ailments
- Reduced risk of Chronic ailments: Plant-based diet helps reduce inflammation, and it can reduce the risk of chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, arthritis etc. It also reduces the risk of certain cancers.
Cons of going vegan:
- Naturally low in a few vitamins & minerals: Vegan diet is low in protein, vitamin B12, essential fatty acids, iron and vitamin D.
Protein is a building block of life and helps promote growth, muscle mass, cell repair, and protect the body from infections and viruses.
A lack of vitamin B12 can make you feel low, tired, fatigued, irritable, nauseous etc.
Essential fatty acids help improve brain health, and lack of it is often associated with cognitive impairment and depression.
Iron deficiency can lead to brittle nails, extreme fatigue, weakness, pale skin, headache, dizziness etc.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause bone pain, muscle twitching, weakness and can also lead to osteoporosis.
- Requirement of higher nutrition: People who require highly nutritious food must be careful while adopting a vegan diet. Children, pregnant or nursing women, older adults, and people who recovered from sickness generally require higher nutrition for the growth and repair of their bodies.
Prior consultation from a doctor or a healthcare provider is necessary before adopting a vegan diet.
Another way to adopt veganism is to start making small changes by adding more plant-based food to your daily diet, going slow and seeing the impact of the changed diet on the body and then taking a cautious call in the long term.
Like every coin has two sides, a vegan diet has few pluses and few minuses. Any lifestyle changes work best if adjusted per the individual requirement. Similarly, adjusting your diet to your needs is best for maximum benefits.