Fitness trends have gained immense popularity these days. With more and more people falling into these robust trends of fitness and weight loss, there are many dietary plans and habits that have surfaced in recent times.
One such diet is called the vegan diet. And we are sure that you might have heard of this name before. The Vegan diet however is a diverse term and has a lot of layers and types linked to it.
So through this blog, we will try to develop an understanding of the vegan diet. We will also be conversing on the benefits of this vegan diet or being vegan benefits. Furthermore, we will be discussing possible health risks(if any) associated with the vegan diet.
So without wasting any further time, let us jump straight into the discussion.
Table of Contents
Overview,
A Vegan diet is one which is solely made up of plant-based products. The use of any product of animal origin is strictly prohibited in this dietary routine.
It would not be wrong to mention that there are different reasons for a person to follow this vegan diet. Many people don’t even use any product of animal origin in their daily lives. Be it some cosmetics or some leather bag, these individuals don’t like to use any of such products.
The basis of this personality stems from the notion that animals being speechless should not face cruelty at the hands of people who slaughter them to make such products. To make it more clear, the individuals following a vegan diet don’t even consume milk or eggs.
Though opting for a vegan diet is one’s own call there are certain parameters and health concerns that should be taken care of. Cutting off food products like milk, eggs and meat can put you at a greater risk of minerals and nutrient deficiency.
But let’s just have a look first at a great many benefits of following a vegan diet.
Benefits Of Vegan Diet:
The benefits of vegan diet are as follows:
1. Helps in Controlling Cholesterol
Out of the many benefits of vegan diet, the role of it in reducing the amount of cholesterol in the body can’t be emphasised enough. Consuming a plant-based diet will help in maintaining the cholesterol levels in the perfect balance.
You are providing healthy alternatives to your body through this vegan diet. If you want to take proteins, lentils and legumes are there to help you. If you want to fulfil the carbohydrate amounts in your body then wheat, rice and fruits are the best options that one can go for.
So is the case with the lipid and fat content, plant-based oils are common these days. These oils are not only a good source of essential fat content but also they are beneficial for your body as they contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids in them. These fatty acids don’t form plaques in the body. Also these plant-based oils can be easily broken down into simpler components.
Moreover, the plant-based oils contain essential and beneficial omega 3 fatty acids that help in promoting brain and heart health.
The oils that are obtained from plant seeds are found useful in lowering low density lipoproteins(LDL). This LDL is also referred to as bad cholesterol. Thus consuming a vegan diet will surely help in controlling cholesterol levels.
Having said that, lower cholesterol levels in the body are essential as they also reduce the risk of many diseases related to the heart. The benefits of a vegan diet are not limited here. Out of many other vegan benefits it is also found helpful in treating hypertension.
Assist in Weight Loss:
The Vegan diet is also found effective in weight loss. The majority of the contents of this diet come from plant sources, so the fat content of the diet is greatly reduced. Also the other components of food obtained from plant sources often require less time to digest and thus aid in weight loss.
Many surveys have found that vegans tend to have a lower body mass index and are generally thinner as compared to non vegans.
This is one of the major reasons that most of the people in pursuit of weight loss often move toward vegan diets.
The other thing that makes the vegan diet far more effective in terms of weight loss is the sense of feeling fuller after a vegan diet. The dietary fibres in the vegan diet are found to be the main reason behind this sensation of being full even after consuming minute quantities of calories.
Helps in Treating Diabetes and Blood Sugar
The vegan diet is also found to be an effective diet for treating diabetes as it helps to keep the body’s sugar and glucose levels in adequate amounts.
The major reason for the increasing trend of inculcating a vegan diet in diabetic patients includes dietary fibres. These dietary fibres are concerned with lowering hunger as they mimic a sense of being full even after taking a small meal. These dietary fibres in short add bulk effects to your meals.
There are studies that have shown that consuming high amounts of dietary fibres are linked with reduced risks of diabetes type 2. With that being said these dietary fibres are also found effective in preventing many cardiovascular disorders. So a vegan diet is therefore found helpful in treating diabetes.
Types of Vegan Diet
There are many types of vegan diets that one can choose according to one’s own choice. These diets often differ either in their contents or in the temperature ranges at which the vegan diet is often cooked.
However, the point that should be kept in consideration is that though there are many types, scientific research rarely discriminates between the types of diets.
The main types of vegan diet are as follows:
1. Raw Vegan Diet
As the name indicates, this type of vegan diet is aimed at consuming everything raw. The thought process behind this type of vegan diet is often found to be a notion that cooking anything at higher temperatures will kill the nutritional contents of that particular food.
These vegans therefore prefer to eat vegetables that are almost raw. And as far as the temperature range is concerned, a temperature of 45-48 degrees celsius is the maximum value to cook the vegetables and other plant-based food content.
2. Whole Food Vegan Diet
So as far as this type of vegan diet is concerned, it aims at a greater intake of whole foods. To make the statement more clear to you, whole foods are those that are not processed at all and they contain little to no additives in them at all.
The list of whole foods that vegans mostly consume includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. There is also an increasing trend of growing these things in personal capacities which reduces the chances of impurities to a bare minimum level.
Related: Find out the benefits of fresh guava fruit on your health.
3. Raw till 4 Vegan Diet
Don’t try to think of any technicality in this vegan diet. It is what it says!
The vegans following this type of diet often prefer to consume a raw vegan diet till 4 pm. After that there are no deadly compulsions on raw food items.
This vegan diet gives many people the chance to enjoy a perfectly cooked vegan dinner. Also there are relaxations in temperature ranges. The food can be cooked at elevated temperatures.
4. Junk Food Vegan Diet
This vegan diet is supposedly based on meat analogues and many other highly processed vegan food items. The junk food in this diet means that the individuals can consume junk items that are vegan in origin. This may also include cheese and vegan desserts like ice creams.
Foods That Are Prohibited:
Though we are sure that you might have got a hint on the types of food one cannot consume during this diet. But still to aid you in this regard, we have sorted a list of things that should be avoided at every cost when following a vegan diet:
- Red meat
- Chicken
- Fish and other sea foods
- Dairy products of any type
- Products obtained from bees like honey and royal jelly
- Eggs
Foods That Can Be Used:
Anything of plant origin is allowed to be used in a vegan diet. The list is by no means exhaustive but for a reference, the following food items are preferred:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Nuts and nut butter
- Mock meat or meat analogue
- Whole grains and cereals
- Processed nutritional yeast
- Seeds
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is it safe to consume a vegan diet?
The answer to this question is Yes, but there are many other factors that should be considered while planning to go on a vegan diet. The nutritional requirements of every person are very different. There are some cases when individuals fail to maintain a healthy lifestyle on a vegan diet. The main reason for this can be linked to reduced vitamin intake. So make sure to keep your vitamin (specifically B12) levels in balance.
Find out more reasons as to why you should take vitamin B12 in required amounts.
2. What can be the best alternative to milk?
The question which is asked by many vegans and is a major concern of many of those who are planning to go on a vegan diet. There are many other plant-based alternatives available in the market. Soymilk is the one such alternative that goes well with many vegans. However there is a downside linked to it as well. There are many cases when excess soya beans consumption suppresses the thyroid activity and can also lead to bowel- related disorders.
The Bottom Line,
There are multiple reasons for a person to move towards a vegan diet. From ethical reasons to health reasons, one can select to go for the vegan diet and there is no harm in it. If you are maintaining the vegan diet well and vegan benefits are helping you to achieve your desired goals then there is no reason left behind to skip it. But as discussed earlier, if you are feeling nutritional deficiencies then it is always preferred to get advice from a nutritionist. You can make an appointment right now with the best nutritionist in the area. To keep yourself updated on many general health issues, visit our website healthwire.pk
