Contents:
- Medical Video: How Your Body Transforms On A Vegan Diet
- Then, where did vegans get their nutritional intake?
- The benefit of being a vegan is ...
- 1. Lose weight
- 2. Lower risk of heart disease
- 2. Reducing the risk of cancer
- Vegan diets are prone to malnutrition and porous bones
Medical Video: How Your Body Transforms On A Vegan Diet
Vegans and vegetarians alike don't eat any animal meat. So there are no chickens, pigs, cows, seafood or other animals in their diet. But the difference with vegetarians, vegans are people who also avoid eating eggs, dairy products, or any other product that comes from animals - honey, fish sauce, gelatin, and others.
Vegan is the most strict type of vegetarian because being a vegan means you really only eat fruits, vegetables, and nuts and seeds.
Some vegans also adopt a lifestyle that truly avoids the use of animal items, such as clothing made of silk, fur and animal skin, wool, and cosmetics tried on animals (animal tested) or containing animal products.
Then, where did vegans get their nutritional intake?
Because of eating lots of vegetables, fruits, and seeds, a vegan diet is a diet that is high in fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, and antioxidants that are sourced from plants.
What about protein and carbohydrates? Quiet. Many vegetable products are high in carbohydrates and protein. Call it wheat, avocado, brown rice, potatoes, tempeh, tofu, spinach, green beans, peas, chickpeas, and kidney beans.
Although edible food sources seem very limited, the vegan food menu is actually very many and varied. The key is you must be clever in choosing and creatively combine various foods to create a new menu.
In fact, there are now many choices of milk-based foods (such as ice cream or cheesecake), meat, burgers, even wine or vegan-style beer.
The benefit of being a vegan is ...
Because the food menu is only vegetable-based, a vegan can have the following benefits:
1. Lose weight
Reed Mangels, a licensed nutritionist and lecturer in Nutrition Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, United States, said that the vegan diet is a solution to lose weight with tangible results.
Because, plant foods contain fewer calories than animal foods. In addition, high fiber intake from fruits and vegetables makes you feel full faster so as to minimize cravings and snacking desires.
Plants are also a major source of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants which are very good for maintaining overall health. A high-fiber and important nutrient-rich vegan diet is also associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
2. Lower risk of heart disease
In addition to having an ideal body weight, a vegan diet also helps reduce total cholesterol and LDL bad cholesterol in the body. A plant-based source of diet also helps stabilize blood sugar and pressure levels at a healthy level.
Consumption of whole grains, soybeans, and nuts which are also the principle of the Mediterranean diet can protect the body from the risk of heart disease.
Many people believe this is because vegans do not consume saturated fats or dangerous chemicals that are now commonly found in meat or dairy products.
2. Reducing the risk of cancer
Vegetables and fruits contain many nutrients that can protect the body from cancer. One of the nutrients in vegetables and fruits is a complex phytochemical that has been known to be useful in preventing cancer. Phytochemicals are antioxidants that can fight free radicals that cause cancer cell formation.
Vegan diets are prone to malnutrition and porous bones
A vegan diet is a diet that focuses on vegetables, fruits, and nuts and seeds. This means you are at risk for lacking many vitamins and minerals that come from animal foods, such as calcium and protein. In fact, calcium and protein are needed for bone health.
Protein and calcium intake that is far from words is enough to increase the risk of bone loss (osteoporosis) and fractures in older ages. But as long as calcium and vitamin D intake is well fulfilled from vegetable sources and sunlight, this risk is not too worrying.
Even so, vegans are also at risk of experiencing deficiencies in other nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids (including EPA and DHA), iron, and vitamin B-12. Omega-3 is important for heart health and brain function, usually contained in fish. Meanwhile, iron deficiency or vitamin B-12 can cause anemia. To prevent this, you need to take supplements of vitamin B12 and iron.
Hello Health Group does not provide advice, diagnosis or health care.
