Let’s talk Health
I just want to give you a brief overview of each topic interconnected with veganism. I have a lot of topics already included in my ….. pages where I try to cover as many questions, arguments and prejudices as possible. Here I want to talk with you about the health aspect of veganism on a very high level and if you are interested in more information look at the “The Vegan A-Z” page or get directly in touch with me. The ethical aspect is the most altruistic one as you don’t get directly something in return besides a good conscience. But if you have a look at the “health” section you can see that it is worth it for yourself independently out of which reason you decide to go vegan.
Health benefits
There are a lot of heated discussions on veganism. That the animal agriculture is responsible for a huge part of environmental issues is mostly accepted. But regarding the health of every individual, there are heated discussions ongoing even if there is enough proof that a plant-based diet is the solution for many diseases. I am not a doctor nor a scientist but I read a lot of different articles from different sources over the last 3 years. During this time I tried to understand the different aspects (also against veganism). I realized that you can find nearly everything you want in scientific papers. But if you do a “meta-analysis” you will recognize facts which are indisputable. So I don’t want to start a scientific paper war here and throw facts out of the context at you. I just want you to show the health benefits you can get by eating a plant-based diet.
Most common diseases
Here are the most common causes of death listed and the one relating to the consumption of animal products are highlighted in orange (source: NutrionFacts.org):
-
Diseases of the heart -
Cancer -
Emphysema -
Stroke -
Unintentional injuries (accidents) -
Alzheimer disease -
Diabetes -
Kidney Failure -
Influenza and pneumonia -
Suicide
I am not telling you that you will be immune to these diseases if you go vegan. But the chance for most of them is significantly lower. Especially for hearth diseases which are mainly the cause of high cholesterol which is nearly impossible to have if you are vegan. The other common disease is cancer. There are so many different kinds of cancer. Some cancer types are directly related to the meat and dairy consumptions and others less. But overall you will reduce the risk of cancer by eating plant-based. There are several other diseases which can be avoided or reduced by going vegan and even if some of them are debatable you will definitely avoid some of them or at least don’t make it worse 😉 Here I have to mention that there are a lot of studies out there which have been funded by the meat and dairy industry which are therefore not objective. There is a huge lobby in this industry which tries to keep its image clean. The counter-argument is often the “deficits”, B12, that it is not natural and so on (covered here).
Western diseases
Short hint: A huge proportion of the world is living on a plant-based diet or close to and these top diseases above are in these countries way lower or practically non-existent. If we really need animal products how can we explain that “western” countries are the ones suffering from these diseases the most? You can also see how the percentage of these diseases is rising in countries/regions where the demand for animal products is rising.
Specific age groups
Pregnant woman, young children and old people are also a topic which is often discussed. Most western countries also disadvise from a vegan diet for these age groups. But the world health organization defines a plant-based diet as the healthiest one and this applies to all age groups.
In a debate in the Swiss national TV the doctors also confirmed that it is possible for all age groups but they disadvise because you have to take more attention during these phases of life.
Of course, these are more critical phases of life but for everyone not just for vegans. I highly recommend to inform yourself what you need during this times (independent if you are vegan or not). But just disadvise it because it needs a little reading and elucidation is the wrong attempt.
Cleaner skin
Another benefit most vegans recognize is their cleaner skin. If you struggle from acne you should cut out dairy (or at best all animal products) and after some month you will definitely see a difference. You should not only have less acne but your skin should also look healthier.
Weight loss
In addition is a plant-based diet also often used to lose some weight. By cutting out these fats and eat more vegetables you can even eat more without feeling guilty. Since I am vegan I am also able to eat bigger amounts without feeling tired afterwards. For me, the most important advice was to eat enough if you are on a plant-based diet. If you eat enough and somehow balanced you won’t run into deficiencies and be most probably healthy. And as I love food this is a perfect fit 😉
Regeneration time
Athletes often mention that the regeneration time for their muscles are lower and they feel more focused. I do sport on a regular basis but not enough to recognize this. But I can completely confirm that I have as much power as before going vegan.
Less junk food
If you go vegan you also have the indirect positive effect that the chance is higher that you inform yourself more about food choices which often leads to healthier meals with more fresh and healthy ingredients. But you can still eat junk food, just healthier versions of it 😀
Everyone is different
The above-mentioned health benefits apply to the average “vegan” with a somehow balanced diet. Of course, if you eat all day chips and drink beer you will feel miserable and probably get ill. You also shouldn’t eat everyday convenience products as they often contain a lot of chemical and unhealthy stuff. But in the end, you should not just eat to stay healthy but also with pleasure. So if you eat a convenience product from time to time it is totally fine. And also important to mention: Even if you eat a perfectly balanced vegan diet you can have diseases like anyone else. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There are always a few people which struggle with certain products or their body has already some chronic diseases. But without trying you will never know and with 99% certainty you will not have any health struggles caused by your vegan food. If you worry about nutritional deficits, I recommend you to have a look at this article. But by going vegan you will definitely make your diet healthier and not worse as there are so many positive effects on your body. Or why do you think everyone is classifying fruits and vegetables as healthy and parents always tell their children to eat enough of them? So why should a diet based on healthy products not be good for us, especially if eaten balanced?
Other sources of information
If you want some more information about the health benefits I recommend you to read “How not to die” which is a book covering the most common disease and how to prevent or even reverse them. If you don’t have time to read a full book you can also watch the documentary “What the Health” (also available on Netflix). You don’t even have to believe every single fact from the movie to see that a plant-based diet has more benefits than downsides. There are a lot of other books and movies (and scientific papers) you will find on the internet. Also, check out my post about “documentaries”. There is so much more I could include in here but this should just help as an overview and I am not a scientist and there are way better-documented sources if you want to get a deeper inside 😊
Additional positive effects
By going vegan you don’t just restrict yourself for the animals or the environment. You will directly benefit from it. There are a lot of vegan recipes which are delicious and after a while you will not miss animal products anymore. If you want me to post some of my recipes let me know in the comments and if you have any other concerns just let me know and I will try to help you on your vegan journey.
By simply making other choices in the supermarket you can have a direct impact on the harm caused to other living beings. If you have any concerns regarding veganism have a look at my other articles and if you still have open questions or if you are struggling at a specific point, just leave me a comment or contact me directly.
Don’t close your eyes and ask yourself what stops you to make a difference? I am convinced you won’t regret it.
Cheers,
