With vegan diets ever growing in popularity, registered nutritionist Kerry Torrens explores whether this dietary lifestyle is really good for you
Interested in trying our FREE 7-day healthy diet plan? Click here and choose between our meat eaters, vegetarian or vegan meal plans.
Whether you’re a long-term vegan or just starting out, obtaining a balanced vegan diet is achievable with the right planning and a little know-how. An appropriately planned vegan diet may offer a number of health benefits but make sure you include key nutrients such as vitamins B12 and D, the bone-building mineral calcium, as well as iron, zinc and long chain omega-3 fatty acids.
Wholefood vegan diets, which include fortified foods, are associated with better health because they are high in dietary fiber, include a plentiful supply of food sources rich in folate, vitamins C and E and the minerals, potassium and magnesium. The high fruit and veg intake, low levels of sodium (salt) and saturated fat all mean vegan diets tend to score highly in the healthy stakes.
Top 5 health benefits of a vegan diet
1. May support weight loss
For some, the incentive to lose a few pounds is motivation enough to turn to a plant-based diet. An US study comparing the nutritional quality of a number of diets showed a balanced vegan diet has the lowest total energy intake, a better fat profile and the highest dietary fibre levels, when compared to omnivore and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets. A greater fibre intake means meals are more satiating, making you less likely to snack and potentially better connects you with your hunger signals.
Other studies support the fact that, in general, vegans tend to be thinner and have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI). In one study, over an 18 week period, a low-fat vegan diet helped participants lose 4.2kg more than those on a control diet. An added benefit is that a vegan diet is naturally lower in calories making calorie counting and portion control unnecessary.
2. Heart-healthy
Enjoying a diet packed with vegan-friendly foods such as wholegrains, legumes, fruit and veg, is associated with a lower risk of heart disease including strokes.
Of particular note is the fact that male vegans appear to enjoy even greater heart benefits than females, with notable reductions in cardiac risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol management.
3. May support blood sugar balance
Following a wholefood vegan diet may help those with blood sugar disturbances. People who adopt a vegan diet tend to have higher insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels and as a result a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This is, in part, down to the fact that, by its very nature, a wholefood vegan diet tends to supply plenty of lower Glycaemic Index (GI) foods which are rich in dietary fiber. Including wholegrains in the diet helps stabilize blood sugar because the wholegrain helps slow digestion, acting as a physical barrier.
On the other hand, refined grains (typically white versions of bread, pasta, rice) and even ‘wholemeal’ products, have been ground or processed, which makes digestion faster and the release of their carb content more rapid. If you want to achieve the blood sugar benefits of a vegan diet, ensure you include plenty of wholegrains in your meals.
In addition to this, vegan diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and higher in protective phyto-nutrients from fruit and vegetables, all of which makes the diet compatible with current dietary guidelines for those with diabetes. However, if you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and/or are on medication, speak to your GP or dietitian before making significant changes to your eating habits.
4. May reduce the risk of certain cancers
Reported cancer cases are expected to climb over the next few decades with this increase thought to be, in part, driven by lifestyle factors including obesity, inactivity and diet. Eating more plant-based foods including legumes, fruit and vegetables and cutting your intake of smoked or processed red meats has been shown to reduce cancer risk.
Studies examining the impact of plant-based diets appear to show that the best outcome for all risk cancers is achieved from a well-balanced vegan diet.
5. May be beneficial for gut health
Your gut microbiome refers to the community of microbes (bacteria, yeast and viruses) that live in your digestive tract. Our understanding of this important microbial community is advancing and we now know that it influences how we think, feel and how healthy we are. Research suggests that by changing the foods we eat, we can very quickly and successfully change our gut microbiome for the better.
Studies show that by eating a varied plant-based diet we can make positive and rapid changes to our gut microbiome, encouraging the beneficial microbes to flourish and increasing the different types of microbes that live there. This is because by eating plenty of plant-based foods which supply different fibres, we feed our gut bacteria allowing them to flourish and increase in number.
The more varied your diet, the more diverse the microbiome, the more adaptable it becomes to fighting disease – this is important because a loss in species diversity is associated with a number of disease outcomes.
Interested in adopting more plant-based meals in your diet? Check out our collection of delicious vegan recipes.