How Healthy is a Vegan Diet?
Experts advise that a vegan diet can be nutritionally adequate and help to prevent chronic diseases. However, someone must plan a vegan diet appropriately to gain the health benefits and avoid nutrient deficiencies. The percentage of vegans in the UK increased by 40% in 2020, according to a poll by finder.com, and a record-breaking 500,000 people signed up to Veganuary in 2021. Moreover, there were almost 10 million Americans following a plant-based diet in 2020.
Although health is not everyone’s motivation for becoming vegan, it’s essential to understand if plant-based eating provides the nutrients someone needs when following the diet. Here’s the potential health benefits of being vegan explained – and what the research says. Also discussed below are the risks of not planning a diet properly and what nutrients to consider.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises that appropriately planned vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for preventing and treating certain diseases. Additionally, it confirms that plant-based diets are appropriate for all life cycle stages and athletes. Furthermore, the academy points out that vegans have a lower risk of certain health conditions and chronic diseases.
Excerpted from Plant Based News
