3 Benefits of Going Vegan
Have you ever thought of going vegan?
If not, there’s a massive chance that you are either -
- a devout vegetarian or
- someone who loves devouring non-vegetarian food.
A vegan is someone who refrains from consuming or using any animal products. Being a vegan, when it comes to diet, means consuming foods other than dairy products, meat, eggs, etc.
A vegan diet consists of food products like:
Research published in The Guardian talks about how consuming meat and other animal products can impact our health as drastically as smoking.
A vegan diet not only works wonders for your health but for the animals and the environment as well. The consumption of meat and dairy products hamper your health and can lead to several ailments. There are plenty of other health benefits of a vegan diet including a healthier heart and reduced risk of diabetes.
Some of the benefits are as follows:
Rich source of specific nutrients:
When it comes to a vegan diet, a majority of its components are whole grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts. Since these foods make up most of the diet, the nutritional value of the diet multiplies by a lot.
A number of studies have concluded that vegan diets tend to supply far more fiber, antioxidants, and many different plant compounds. In addition to this, the vegan diet also provides your body with extremely essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients like vitamins A, C & E as well as potassium, magnesium, and folate.
What’s essential when it comes to your vegan diet is how well you map it out. A poorly put-together diet without precision and any guidance can discard the very factor that gives the vegan diet an edge over other diets — nutritional goodness.
Supports weight management/weight loss:
One of the major reasons why people are turning towards veganism is because it supports weight loss. In 2017, a study conducted by J Geriatr Cardiol concluded that the BMI of the people that follow a vegan diet is lower than those who do not.
A number of studies have also shown that a diet comprising of vegan food products is highly influential when it comes to weight loss in comparison to non-vegan diets.
This is also because the food products like nuts and seeds are rich sources of fiber. The fiber content fills you up quickly and reduces your calorie intake which results in weight loss.
Contributes to the environment and animal life:
It has been discussed time and again how animals and the environment are affected in a drastic manner due to our food preferences. This includes meat and dairy products.
The production and processing of meat and dairy products are one of the major causes of pollution. The food that we consume comes from the earth in one form or another. Meat consumption alone aids the release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. These gases worsen the climate by catalyzing global warming.
This is why consuming vegan/plant-based foods not only adds to the betterment of your overall health but that of the environment and the animals as well.
