Veganism And Dieting: What Not To Do

In his book, *How Not To Diet*, Dr. Michael Greger explores the science behind long-term weight loss success. Greger is a physician, bestselling author, and speaker on health issues. His book empowers readers with knowledge on how to live a healthy, obesity-free life without dieting. Greger's work focuses on the primary cause of weight gain and disease: what we eat. He hones in on the optimal criteria to enable weight loss while considering how foods affect our health. Greger also lays out the key ingredients of the ideal weight-loss diet and reveals the twenty-one weight loss accelerators available to our bodies.

The health benefits of a vegan diet

The number of people adopting a vegan lifestyle has been increasing. A vegan diet is a plant-based diet that includes vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and fruits. Vegans do not consume any animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey.

Weight Loss

A vegan diet may help with weight loss. Studies suggest that vegans tend to have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than non-vegans. A US study comparing a balanced vegan diet to omnivore and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets found that the vegan diet had the lowest total energy intake and the highest dietary fibre levels. The higher fibre intake means meals are more filling, reducing the desire to snack.

Heart Health

A vegan diet may also support heart health. Research has shown that a vegan diet can reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. The diet is typically rich in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, which are associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Male vegans, in particular, exhibit notable reductions in several cardiac risk factors.

Blood Sugar Control and Diabetes

Adopting a vegan diet may help with blood sugar control and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. People on a vegan diet tend to have higher insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. A wholefood vegan diet tends to include more lower glycaemic index (GI) foods, which are rich in dietary fibre and help stabilise blood sugar.

Cancer

A vegan diet may also reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, such as colon cancer. This is because a vegan diet is typically rich in legumes, fruits, and vegetables, which are associated with a lower risk of various types of cancer. Additionally, by avoiding certain animal products, vegans may lower their risk of prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers.

Gut Health

A vegan diet can be beneficial for gut health. A varied plant-based diet can quickly and successfully change the gut microbiome for the better. It encourages the growth of beneficial microbes and increases the diversity of microbes in the gut. This diversity is believed to have positive effects on overall health, similar to the benefits of a diverse ecosystem.

Skin Health

A vegan diet may also promote healthy skin. Epidemiological studies have linked the higher intake of fruits and vegetables in a vegan diet with positive skin health. These foods are rich in polyphenols, vitamins C and E, and other nutrients that support skin health.

A well-planned vegan diet can offer a range of health benefits. It is important to ensure adequate intake of key nutrients, such as vitamins B12 and D, calcium, iron, and zinc, through fortified foods or supplements. With proper planning and attention to nutritional needs, a vegan diet can be a nutritious and healthy choice.

The drawbacks of a vegan diet

A vegan diet, which excludes all animal products, can have several drawbacks. Here are some of the key disadvantages:

Potential Nutrient Deficiencies

One of the main concerns with a vegan diet is the potential for nutrient deficiencies. A vegan diet may lack certain essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and protein. Vitamin B12, for example, is only found in animal products, so vegans need to ensure they consume fortified foods or take supplements to meet their daily requirements.

Challenges in Eating Out and Social Gatherings

Finding vegan options when dining out can be difficult, especially in areas that are not vegan-friendly. It may require extra effort to identify vegan-friendly restaurants and menu items. Similarly, social gatherings or events can pose challenges, as not everyone may understand or accommodate vegan dietary preferences, potentially leading to uncomfortable situations.

Initial Learning Curve

Transitioning to a vegan diet may involve a learning curve, including learning new recipes, understanding ingredient alternatives, and familiarizing yourself with plant-based nutrition. This process can feel overwhelming, especially for those who are new to veganism.

Potential Expense

While a vegan diet can be affordable, specialty vegan products and substitutes can be more expensive than their non-vegan counterparts. Organic or specialty items may strain budgets for those who are not careful with their spending.

Health Complications

In addition to potential nutrient deficiencies, vegan diets have been associated with adverse health outcomes in some cases. These include nervous, skeletal, and immune system impairments, hematological disorders, and mental health problems. For example, vegans have been found to have a greater prevalence of mental health issues, which may be linked to nutrient deficiencies or other factors.

Challenges During Pregnancy and for Children

Pregnant women on strict vegan diets are at risk of vitamin and nutrient insufficiency, which can lead to poor fetal outcomes and low birth weight. Additionally, vegan diets for children and adolescents may result in lower bone mineral density, potentially increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in adulthood.

In conclusion, while a vegan diet can offer several benefits, it is important to carefully consider and address these potential drawbacks to ensure a healthy and balanced approach to this lifestyle.

The environmental impact of veganism

Veganism is widely regarded as a more environmentally friendly alternative to diets that include animal products. Research shows that meat and dairy products contribute significantly to the climate crisis, whereas plant-based diets help protect the planet. According to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, shifting to plant-based diets can effectively reduce carbon footprints and mitigate climate change.

However, it is important to note that not all plant-based foods have a small environmental footprint. For example, fruits like blueberries and strawberries, which are often imported by air to meet demand during off-seasons, can contribute to higher carbon emissions than some meat products. Similarly, avocado, mango, and plum cultivation requires a substantial amount of water, putting pressure on water-stressed regions. Cocoa production has also been linked to tropical deforestation, contributing to biodiversity loss.

On the other hand, a well-balanced vegan diet can have impressive health benefits. A vegan diet rich in pulses, nuts, fruits, and vegetables can lead to a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and diet-related non-communicable diseases.

To minimize the environmental impact of veganism, it is recommended to stick to locally produced fruits and vegetables that are in season. Additionally, reducing meat consumption and paying attention to how foods are grown and transported can also help lower the carbon footprint.

The ethics of veganism

Veganism is a lifestyle and dietary choice that seeks to exclude the use of animal products, whether for food, clothing, or other purposes. Ethical vegans are motivated by a desire to minimise animal exploitation and cruelty, and their beliefs are often informed by philosophical and religious ideas. This overview will explore the ethical arguments for and against veganism.

Arguments for Veganism

Suffering and Personhood

Central to the ethical case for veganism is the belief that animals can suffer and experience pain, and that causing them pain is morally wrong. Many scientists and philosophers argue that certain animals possess sufficient levels of consciousness to be considered "people". They exhibit signs of self-awareness and appear to possess notions of self, leading some to believe they should be afforded similar rights and protections as humans.

Environmental Impact

Numerous scientific studies suggest that a vegan diet has a significantly lower negative impact on the environment than a meat-inclusive diet. The industrial-scale farming of animals has a large environmental footprint, which many vegans find unacceptable.

Health Benefits

A well-planned vegan diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and pulses, is often considered healthier than omnivorous diets. A plant-based diet can provide an energy boost and improve vitamin, mineral, and fibre intake. It can also have positive effects on cardiovascular health, helping to prevent heart disease, stroke, and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Arguments Against Veganism

Crop Harvesting and Animal Deaths

Some critics argue that veganism results in more animal deaths than an omnivorous diet. They claim that modern crop harvesting kills more animals, such as mice, moles, and rabbits, than eating cows that graze on pasture. However, this argument has been refuted by vegans who point out that less land is required to produce crops for direct human consumption than for raising cattle, and that the number of animal deaths caused by harvesting is not accurately known.

Humane Slaughter

Another counterargument centres on the belief that animals can be slaughtered quickly and humanely. However, vegans question the use of the word "humane" in this context, as it implies compassion, which is contradicted by the act of killing. Additionally, the process of rounding up and transporting animals in cramped conditions before slaughter can cause psychological trauma.

The Fate of Farm Animals

Critics also question what would happen to farm animals if everyone adopted a vegan diet. They argue that there would be implications for farmers and the animals that would no longer be needed for slaughter. Vegans counter this by suggesting that subsidising farmers to care for these animals for the rest of their natural lives would be the morally correct solution.

How to get enough protein on a vegan diet

Protein is one of the three macronutrients our bodies use for energy, the other two being carbohydrates and fats. It is made up of 20 individual building blocks called amino acids, which are vital to our bodies for building and repairing cells, creating enzymes and antibodies, and performing other essential functions.

There is a common misconception that vegan diets lack sufficient protein, but this is unfounded in science. In fact, vegans can get protein from various plant sources, and a well-planned meatless diet can provide all the nutrients you need, including protein.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein varies by age. For adults, the RDA is 0.8 grams/kg of body weight (about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight). That means that for an adult who weighs 130 pounds, the RDA is 47 grams of protein per day, and for someone who weighs 170 pounds, the RDA is 62 grams of protein per day.

High-Protein Plant Sources

• Seitan
• Tofu, tempeh, and edamame
• Lentils
• Beans (kidney, black, pinto, chickpeas)
• Nutritional yeast
• Spelt and teff
• Hemp seeds
• Green peas
• Spirulina
• Amaranth and quinoa
• Ezekiel bread and other sprouted grain breads
• Soy milk
• Oats and oatmeal
• Wild rice
• Chia seeds
• Nuts, nut butter, and other seeds
• Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts)
• Fruits (guava, cherimoyas, mulberries, blackberries, nectarines, bananas)

Complete Proteins

A food is considered a source of complete protein if it contains all nine essential amino acids. Complete proteins are mostly animal-based foods, but some plant foods are also complete proteins, including:

Soy foods (tofu, edamame)

In addition to the complete plant-based protein foods listed above, you can create complete proteins by eating a variety of grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.

Frequently asked questions