Find reassurance in the balance and moderation of a vegan diet, which can be beneficial in multiple ways. It has the potential to assist with losing weight, improving heart health, and protect against cancer and type 2 diabetes. This blog post will be looking at how exactly a vegan diet can be beneficial to health, what the potential downsides are, and give some examples of athletes that consume and promote a vegan diet.
Why Is a Vegan Diet Good for You?
As the health benefits of a vegan diet have spread, more and more people have been converting to eating in this way. A study conducted in 2019 showed that one-quarter of individuals between 25 and 34 years old are vegetarian or vegan. Multiple studies have shown that a vegan diet can benefit an individual’s health by leading to healthy weight loss, lowering total cholesterol levels, decreasing cancer risks, and lowering a1c levels. However, following a vegan diet doesn’t guarantee improved health benefits – one must make healthy dietary choices to see those improvements.
What Happens to Your Body When You Go Vegan?
There can be some side effects with changing to a vegan diet. These changes can include feeling hungrier than usual, being gassy, changing body odor or skin, gaining or losing weight, having headaches, or being more energetic or tired. So, depending on the individual, they can experience either positive or negative effects or a bit of both. The bodily changes depend on your previous dietary choices and how the body responds to different types of food. An increase in fiber in the vegan diet can lead to an increased amount of gas and more bowel movements throughout the day. Eating fewer calories due to consuming more plants instead of animal products will likely lead to weight loss, but also can make an individual feel hungry more often. The immune system response will also improve due to increasing the diversity of the gut microbiome by consuming more plant-based foods.
Do You Lose Weight Being Vegan?
A vegan diet has the potential to lead to weight loss, mainly if it focuses primarily on fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Focusing on these foods results in a lower-calorie way of eating compared to one with animal products, along with consuming high-fiber foods that keep one feeling fuller for a more extended period. To stay healthy, though, it is essential to realize what micronutrients are not consumed by avoiding animal products to ensure they are received in some other form. Such an example is vitamin B12, which is only naturally found in animal products. However, B12 is fortified in different food sources, such as cereals and soy products.
Are There Downsides to a Vegan Diet?
There can be cons to following a plant-based lifestyle, mainly focused on nutritional deficiencies. There are few plant sources of complete proteins, so it is rare to find foods containing all of the essential amino acids, nine in total. Because of this, it is vital to ensure that your meals throughout the day have you consuming all of the amino acids in various sources. Some plant-based foods can also be less easily digestible because of the presence of lectins and phytates, considered anti-nutrients. These anti-nutrients can make it so nutrients within the plant sources cannot be absorbed as efficiently. With a plant-based diet potentially focusing on soy products, nuts, and seeds, there is a higher possibility of experiencing an allergic reaction. Lastly, as mentioned previously, certain nutrients are not as easily found in plant-based foods, like vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc. However, if one makes sure to either supplement to make up for the missed micronutrients or consume fortified foods that include those specific micronutrients, this should not be much of a problem.
Which Athletes Follow a Vegan Diet?
Lewis Hamilton has opened his own vegan fast-food chain called Neat Burger. He openly advocates and supports animal rights. He claims that after having been on a vegan diet for quite some time, he has noticed changes in his energy, has a clearer mind, and feels good about his body.
Tia Blanco started following a plant-based diet in 2013. After researching a vegan lifestyle, she decided to switch and has been following it ever since. She is open about her experiences with the vegan diet on social media.
Alex Morgan used to think it would be impossible to follow a vegan diet while dreaming of being an elite-level professional athlete. However, she realized the long list of benefits in comparison to the negatives and made the switch. Ever since she has advocated for animal rights.
Patrik Bouboumian was named Germany’s strongest man in 2011 and was the first vegan to win that title. He has discussed how an individual does not need protein from animals to become strong and physically fit. After two years of eating a vegan diet, he claimed he felt at his strongest.
Venus Williams was led to switch to a plant-based lifestyle to help manage the symptoms of her diagnosed Sjogren’s Syndrome, particularly fatigue and joint pain. This way, she was able to continue playing tennis without having to depend upon prescribed medications for symptom relief. She is passionate about discussing how a vegan way of eating helps to give her energy and has improved her athletic performance. She has even launched her own vegan protein brand called Happy Viking.
Choosing a healthy plant-based and vegan diet is most beneficial when it comes to:
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Higher levels of energy;
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Improved sleep;
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Aids in energy and overall happiness;
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Provides a sense of comfort and relief;
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Could prevent major diseases such as obesity and diabetes;
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Accomplish weight-loss and management; and
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Improves mental and cognitive functioning.
There are really no excuses not to try healthier habits in your everyday life. If you are a man or woman looking for specific benefits of adopting healthier habits or just want to know about the general healing properties of herbs. Please remember to comment or post any health questions or contact us directly!
Resources
In-House Team of Circle Health Group. (2024, July 17). The pros and cons of a vegan diet. Circle Health Group.
Marcin, A. (2018, September 29). Vegan diet for weight loss: What you need to know. Healthline.
Petre, A. (2022, March 30). 6 science-based health benefits of eating vegan. Healthline.
Rush University Medical Center. (n.d.). Health benefits of a vegan diet. Rush.
Smith, V. & Smith, R. (2024, January 30). 20 vegan athletes you didn't know ate a plant-based diet. Vegan Food & Living.
The Vegan Taste. (n.d.). What to expect when you change to a vegan diet. The Vegan Taste.
