6 Benefits of Switching to a Vegan Diet

A vegan diet is a plant-based diet that excludes all animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy from the food. When followed properly, a vegan diet can be nutritious, reduce weight, and lower the risk of chronic diseases.

6 Benefits of Switching to a Vegan Diet

There is an increase in the number of people who are moving toward vegan diets to support animal welfare and environmental concerns. In the 2018 Gallup poll, it was reported that about 3% of people are fully vegan, resulting in the sale of plant-based foods.

This write-up provides a close look at the vegan diet, providing its health benefits. Scroll down and learn about the six necessary benefits of switching to a vegan diet.

Benefit 1- Help in reducing excess weight

Several people are going towards plant-based diets to reduce excess weight. As a result, many studies have found that vegans are thinner and have low BMI compared to people who are non-vegans.

The Golden Standard in Scientific Research has found that vegan food is more effective for weight loss. A vegan diet also promotes weight loss without the need to focus on cutting down calories.

Benefit 2- Protect the person against cancer

According to the World Health Organization, almost one-third of cancer can be prevented by taking a properly nutritious diet. For instance- eating legumes every day can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 10-18%.

Vegans eat more fruits and vegetables as compared to non-vegans, which lowers the risk of dying from cancer by up to 15%. Vegan food also includes soya products that protect the body against breast cancer. In addition, people having vegan food avoid dairy products that reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Benefit 3- Rich in various nutrients

If you switch to a vegan diet, then animal and meat products are eliminated from your food. This leads the person to rely more on other healthy foods. And, if you are someone who decided to have a whole-foods vegan diet, then you tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, peas, nuts, seeds, and grains.

Since these foods come under the vegan diet category, they contribute to a daily intake of various nutrients. Therefore, a vegan diet is rich in magnesium, potassium, folate, Vitamins A, C, and E. They are also rich in iron that you get from bioavailable plants.

It is essential to choose plant-based  and fortified foods. You can even consider getting supplements for several nutrients such as vegan vitamins, B12 and D, calcium, and zinc as they may lack behind in a vegan diet.

Benefit 4- Lower the sugar level and improve kidney function.

Turning yourself, vegan provides benefits in diabetes and improves the functioning of the kidney. Vegans have lower blood sugar levels and high sensitivity to insulin that do not develop type 2 diabetes.

You can reduce the risk of poor kidney functions when eating protein-rich plant-based food over meat is your choice. A vegan diet also relieves the symptoms of diabetes that cause sharp and burning pain conditions known as systemic distal polyneuropathy.

Benefit 5- Decrease the pain from arthritis

A vegan diet has positive effects for people suffering from different types of arthritis. Switching to a whole plant-based food diet for approximately 6 week can provide a higher energy level and improves several symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis such as swelling of the joints, pain, and others.

A vegan diet is based on a high content of fiber, probiotics, and antioxidants that decreases the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Benefit 6- Reduces the risk of heart disease.

Vegan diets can boost heart health in various ways. For example, a study in 2019 showed that a high intake of plant-based foods reduces the risk of heart disease and death in adults.

According to the American Heart Association, eating food that contains saturated fats such as cheese and butter raises the cholesterol level resulting in heart stroke. Instead, follow a plant-based diet to lower the body mass index and reduce obesity which is a major risk factor of heart disease.

Conclusion

A vegan diet provides ample health benefits such as weight loss, reduced risk of heart diseases, and others and is growing day by day. Vegan diets are also better for the environment. So, if you are adopting a vegan diet, then plan your meals carefully and ensure that you are getting the right amount of nutrients to avoid the deficiencies in your body.


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