A Quick Glance at Veganism...My Thoughts...

Veganism in simplest definition is not eating or using products that come from animals (aquatic animals are not considered part of veganism). As a diet, one eats no meat, no eggs, no animal milk, no cheese coming from animal milk, no animal milk-based butters, no animal milk-based kefirs or yogurts, etc. As a lifestyle, one does not wear clothing derived from animals: leather is obviously avoided, but even wool and other animal fibers are not used. Within this lifestyle, body care and household products that contain animal derived ingredients are a no-no. Veganism is often chosen because of the treatment of animals involved in the source of food and products. Veganism as a diet is often chosen for its health benefits.

I want to glance quickly at veganism from a diet choice perspective. The idea is that avoiding meat and animal byproducts has been proven to be healthier. Studies do prove that those who follow a vegan diet have lower risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, cholesterol problems, and blood pressure fluctuations (Madry) (McDougall).  But, I want to point out that this is a WHOLE FOODS vegan diet. What is often a common problem with those who "go vegan" is that it is easier to grab processed convenience vegan friendly foods, especially among adolescents (Ensaff). I have seen this personally with several teens and busy adults. Most potato chips, corn chips and many cookies are vegan friendly. Pasta and grains are so easy to prepare and are vegan friendly, but are high glycemic. There are tons of vegan frozen food choices. Processed foods...easy snacks and meals. Like any other diet out there, processed foods are not our bodies' friend and a diet based on grains is not balanced. Another problem sited across the board is getting adequate B-12 and omega fatty acids (Woo). Even with a whole foods vegan diet, this is an issue. It is definitely not impossible to get these nutrients eating vegan, but there needs to be a purposeful plan to get them. B-12 is not derived from plants. Many vegans find it necessary to take a sublingual B-12 supplement. However, nutritional yeast has been found to contain adequate amounts of B-12 (vrg.org).  Being vegan is not a guarantee of health, balanced nutrition is the key.

Bottom line: whole foods, no matter which diet you choose, is imperative for optimal health. Make sure your food choices and meal plans provide your whole body with the nutrition it needs.


Works Cited:

Ensaff, Hannah ; Coan, Susan ; Sahota, Pinki ; Braybrook, Debbie ; Akter, Humaira ; Mcleod, Helen. Adolescents' Food Choice and the Place of Plant-Based Foods. Nutrients, 2015, Vol.7(6), pp.4619-4637

 Mądry, Edyta, et al. "The Impact Of Vegan Diet On B-12 Status In Healthy Omnivores: Five-Year Prospective Study." Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Technologia Alimentaria 11.2 (2012): 209-213. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 July 2016.

McDougall, John et al. “Effects of 7 Days on an Ad Libitum Low-Fat Vegan Diet: The McDougall Program Cohort.” Nutrition Journal 13 (2014): 99. PMC. Web. 1 July 2016.

Woo, Kam, Timothy Kwok, and David Celermajer. “Vegan Diet, Subnormal Vitamin B-12 Status and Cardiovascular Health.” Nutrients 6.8 (2014): 3259–3273. CrossRef. Web.