Vegan Benefits for Health: 6 Tips to Get You Started
You’ve probably heard of the term, too: veganism. But what is behind this term? What vegan benefits for health are there? And why should veganism be more than a hype?
You will find answers to these questions in the following article. We also want to give you some helpful tips on how you can go vegan for health and get started with small steps.
What Exactly is Veganism?
Veganism describes both a diet and a lifestyle. Vegans abstain completely from animal products in their diet. This includes meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, honey, and other foods that contain animal ingredients. Even some alcoholic beverages, such as wine, are not consistently free of animal ingredients.
Those who take veganism very seriously – aside from nutrition – also pay attention to the clothes they wear the beauty products they buy. For serious vegans, leather jackets and shoes, woollen coats and the like are therefore taboo. Many beauty products or make-up can also still contain animal ingredients. Unfortunately, animal testing is also still a major issue in the industry of beauty. Although animal testing is often banned nowadays, you should pay particular attention to large and well-known brands. Brands that want to sell their products in China, for example, are legally obliged to test on animals.
But: don’t give up! Every small step towards a plant-based diet or a vegan lifestyle already has a positive impact on your health, the planet’s health and animal welfare worldwide. Below we will go deeper into the vegan benefits for health, but first…
A quick fact check:
- A plant-based, vegan diet can have adverse effects on your Type 2 diabetes
- A plant-based, vegan diet is efficient in helping you lose weight and keeping it off more easily
- Only about 2% of the world’s soy is used to produce tofu or soymilk. About 98% is used to feed livestock
- In Germany alone about 763 million animals have to live and die in factory farming every year. And this number doesn’t even include commercial fishing
But let’s start at the beginning.
Vegan Benefits for Health
It is no longer a secret that a plant-based, vegan diet has many benefits for your health. More and more people are now even going vegan for health reasons. There are now hundreds of studies demonstrating the benefits of plant-based foods, numerous vegan cookbooks and dozens of documentaries – even on Netflix. But more on that later. The benefits of a plant-based, vegan diet are numerous and, in the strictest sense, can mean the difference between life and death – and not just for animals.
Vegan benefits for health include that it…
- lowers your cholesterol levels
- improves your blood pressure and thus has a positive effect on high blood pressure
- lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks
- lowers your blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
- reduces your risk of cancer, especially colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer
- contributes to a lower risk of inflammation in the body
- helps you lose weight and is one of the best methods for healthy weight management
The good news? It’s never too late to switch to a plant-based diet and go vegan for health!
A vegan diet can not only reduce the risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and many more, it can even reverse them.
Here are some of the most astonishing vegan benefits for health. Mind you, there is – of course – many more.
(1) Minimise cancer risk:
According to PETA, vegans can reduce their risk of developing different types of cancer by up to 20% on average, more than any other diet. Reasons for this include reduced meat consumption, which has been shown to promote cancer. The increased consumption of plant foods such as fruit and vegetables also benefits here, because of their cancer-inhibiting effects of antioxidant ingredients.
(2) Cholesterol down, heart health up:
According to the Oxford Vegetarian Study (OVS), vegans have an average blood concentration of 89 mg of the so-called “bad” LDL cholesterol. Meat eaters have an LDL cholesterol level of 124 mg. Thus, a plant-based diet can reduce the bad LDL cholesterol by 15-25 % and thus significantly reduce cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks. As a matter of fact, the risk of cardiovascular disease and resulting mortality rate increases in correlation with increased consumption of animal foods.
(3) Reverse diabetes:
Vegans have a nearly 50% lower risk of developing diabetes than meat eaters. Fifty percent. Let that sink in for a minute. But not only that: switching to a vegan diet can be used as a therapy for type 2 diabetes and reverse it. The reason for this is better regulated blood sugar levels and reduced consumption of heme iron. Heme iron is found mainly in red meat. Heme iron has been correlated to destroying the pancreas, which is responsible for insulin production. If we omit this and rely instead on healing, plant-based foods, we can regenerate our bodies.
(4) Lose weight long term:
Last but not least, weight loss is an important issue. Numerous studies show the advantages of a vegan diet in weight management. The Adventist Health Study found vegans to have an average BMI of 23.6 kg/m2 (normal range) compared to an average BMI for meat eaters of 28.8 kg/m2 (overweight range). There are a number of reasons for this, including: a lower intake of saturated fatty acids, a lower total number of calories due to lower calorie foods, as well as a faster feeling of satiety due to fibre-rich plant foods.
As a result, we can see that a plant-based diet undoubtedly has numerous benefits for your health. But not only that. In addition to the health benefits of a plant-based diet, there are also environmental and animal welfare benefits, which I explore in my articles on Vegan for the Animals and Vegan for the Planet.
If you want to dive deeper into the topic of plant-based diets and the vegan benefits for health, I highly recommend Dr. Greger’s website. He also has awesome recipe books, informational books, and a podcast on his book “How not to die”.
If you now find yourself wondering how to start going vegan or how to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet, here are some easy tips.
6 Tips to Help You Go Vegan for Health
These tips can help you gradually move towards a more vegan, plant-based diet. Be sure to do your own research. There is now plenty of information online, in books and documentaries on this topic. The most important thing is that you focus on a way that works for you.
1. Try falafel instead of doner kebab
If you have to be quick at lunchtime, the kebab on the corner sounds tempting. The good news is that most kebab stands now even offer vegan options. If not, try falafel in bread. It tastes much better with a clear conscience.
2. Find your favourite milk alternative
On most supermarket’s sweets shelves, it’s almost impossible to avoid vegan alternatives: from hazelnut chocolate over sea salt to white chocolate, there are now many flavours to choose from. The same applies to milk: unfortunately, the dairy industry is no better than the meat industry. Luckily, there are now dozens of milk alternatives – from oat, to soy, rice, almond and pea protein milk, it’s all there. Just try out what tastes best to you.
3. Use fewer additives
Before an additive is approved for food, it has to be tested in safety-toxicological studies – usually in animal experiments. On average, organic products contain fewer additives than conventional food. The motto here is: cooking at home is not only healthier, it also helps you manage your weight and you can easily do your part for animal welfare.
4. Have a cheat day
If you’re in a hurry or don’t want to look silly at a BBQ in the park, why not try vegan alternatives? In a lot of countries, we are lucky enough to have vegan alternatives in most supermarkets for almost everything from nuggets to “feta cheese” to grilled sausages. Vegan processed foods should, however, not be part of the regular menu as it is less healthy and nutrient dense – like all convenience foods – but it is a more ethical alternative to the regular burger or pork sausage.
5. Get informed
I strongly believe that we can make better decisions, when we are better informed. Netflix has a few exciting documentaries on the subject of veganism, plant-based diets, and the positive impact they have on us, the planet and the animals. These documentaries are a must-see:
A good vegan cookbook can also inspire you to try new dishes, so you don’t even notice you’re eating “vegan”:
- A selection of cookbooks from Deliciously Ella
- „Plant over Processed“ by Andrea Hannemann
- „How not to Die – Cookbook“ by Michael Greger
*Note: none of these are sponsored or affiliate links! I only share them, because they have truly transformed my way of life and of seeing the world. I hope they will equally inspire you!
6. Celebrate yourself: every bit counts!
You don’t have to turn the whole fridge upside down, but you can do your bit to enjoy the vegan benefits for health with small steps. Most importantly: do not give up just because you might have slipped once. Remind yourself of why you started! Those powerful reasons still remain and can help put things into perspective. You are vegan for your health. You are vegan for you – no matter what they say.
By the way: there are a few things you should keep in mind when eating a purely plant-based diet.
- Vitamin B12:
Even though the B12 we get from meat no longer occurs naturally and has been specifically administered to animals, a vegan diet can lead to B12 deficiencies. Many milk alternatives and other vegan products are already fortified with B12. Otherwise, you can consider supplementing B12 if that makes sense for you.
- Iron, calcium and vitamin D:
Deficiencies in other minerals and trace elements can also occur. Make sure you eat a balanced diet! Include legumes, nuts and seeds as well as different types of vegetables and fruits in your diet. These provide a variety of nutrients and ensure that you are getting enough of them. A daily walk will replenish your vitamin D stores. If you are deficient, you can also consult a doctor.
- Don’t worry about protein!
If you eat a balanced and sufficient diet, you will also get enough protein. Soy products such as tofu, tempeh or seitan, but also vegan meat substitutes made from soy or pea protein have sufficient amounts of protein. In addition, legumes such as chickpeas, but also nuts, are a great source of protein! If you don’t want to do without your protein shake after the workout, there are now various plant-based protein powders available. A little tip: next time, mix a spoonful of chia seeds into your muesli or salad – you won’t taste them, but chia seeds offer a higher protein content than eggs, for example.
More on the myth of protein deficiency on a vegan diet can be found on my respective article here.
Conclusion
In general, it is better to cook fresh at home and avoid additives and preservatives. Go for fruit, vegetables, and pulses instead of throwing ready-made products into the shopping trolley.
Try the vegan range in the supermarket – you don’t have to change your whole diet, but 2-3 vegan days a week can make a difference. There are numerous vegan benefits for health: your cardiovascular system will be protected and built up, your blood sugar will be stabilised, your risk of various diseases and cancers will be minimised or even reversed, and weight management will be easier.
We are not alone on this planet! Reduce your carbon footprint with a plant-based, vegan diet. Read more on the vegan benefits for our planet here.
Still have questions? Leave a comment below and I’ll be in touch a.s.a.p.!
