Benefits of Becoming Vegan

Writer: Jamila Tarek

Vegan diets are known to help people lose weight. However, they also offer an array of additional health benefits. For starters, a vegan diet may help you maintain a healthy heart. We often get confused between the terms “Vegetarian” and “Vegan”. I definitely used to. To clarify, a vegan diet excludes all meat and animal products (meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, and eggs), whereas a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. I used to think that vegans were missing out on a LOT, including proteins, vitamins, and surely many tasty meals, but after I did my bit of research I found out that WE “everything eaters” were the ones missing out. In other words, this article will simplify and illuminate everything beneficial about a vegan diet, and hopefully, this can convince you to start one.

One reason why you should become vegan is that it can help you lose excess weight. An increasing number of people are turning to plant-based diets in the hope of shedding surplus weight. This hope is actually well placed due to good reasons. Many observational studies show that vegans tend to be thinner and have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than non-vegans. Even when they weren’t following their diets perfectly, the vegan groups still lost slightly more weight than those on a standard Western diet.

Veganism may also help with type 2 diabetes and deteriorating kidney function. They may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. They are also quite successful at lowering blood glucose, which may aid in the prevention of future medical problems. Vegans, in fact, have lower blood sugar levels, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and a 50–78% greatly reduced probability of acquiring type 2 diabetes. Vegan diets also cut blood sugar levels in diabetics more than the diets from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Heart Association (AHA), and National Cholesterol Education Program(NCEP). Additionally, numerous studies have found that a vegan diet may be able to completely relieve the symptoms of systemic distal polyneuropathy, a condition that produces severe, burning pain in diabetics.

Vegan diets may improve heart health by minimizing risk factors for heart disease and incorporating nutritious foods into your diet. Fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fibers have all been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. In well-planned vegan meals, all of these are commonly consumed in significant quantities. According to observational studies that compare vegans to vegetarians and the general population, vegans may have a 75% decreased risk of developing high blood pressure. Vegans may have a 42% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease. Vegans also consume more whole grains and nuts than the general population, both of which are heart-healthy foods. What’s more, several randomly chosen studies disclose that vegan diets are much more effective in treating blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels than the diets they are compared to. This is incredibly significant for heart health because reducing blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels may reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 46%.

On top of all that, certain aspects of the vegan diet may offer protection against prostate, breast, and colon cancers. According to the World Health Organization, about one-third of all cancers can be prevented by factors within your control, including diet. For instance, eating legumes regularly may reduce your risk of colorectal cancer by about 9–18%. Research also suggests that eating at least seven portions of fresh fruits and vegetables per day may lower your risk of dying from cancer by up to 15%. Vegans generally eat considerably more legumes, fruit, and vegetables than non-vegans. This may explain why a recent review of 96 studies found that vegans may benefit from a 15% lower risk of developing or dying from cancer. What’s more, vegan diets generally contain more soy products, which may offer some protection against breast cancer. It’s important to note that these studies are observed in nature. They make it impossible to pinpoint the exact reason why vegans have a lower risk of cancer.

However, until researchers know more, it seems wise to focus on increasing the number of fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes you eat each day while limiting your consumption of processed, smoked, and overcooked meat. That sounds an awful lot like a good vegan diet, doesn’t it?