Advantages of a vegan diet
This week I had the great fortune of attending a talk by Dr. Michael Greger. Dr. Greger, he’s a real M.D. and he currently serves at the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States. Most importantly, the guy reads over 800 articles in medical journals each year! I think he must have some great research assistants.
What is he looking for in all that reading? Scientific data about nutrition that supports healthy living and longevity. What does he find year after year? That the recipe for longevity is to eat a vitamin B-12 fortified diet of whole plant foods, preferably organic. Isn’t that great news for vegans? We knew we were on to something and finally here is a sane, medical professional backing us up.
Advantages of a Vegan Diet
Dr. Greger gave us many convincing examples of how a vegan diet is superior to an animal-based diet. The medical research shows:
- Eating one egg per day can be harmful. It has been shown to cause cardiovascular disease.
- Meat has been shown to increase a person’s risk of breast cancer by 74%.
- Dairy is basically cooked poop and puss. It has been linked to high cholesterol and has been shown to triple a person’s risk of colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and Parkinson’s disease.
- The high levels of mercury found in fish can harm a child’s development.
Need more convincing? In the end what the research shows is that a plant-based diet has high correlation with cancer prevention. That is one huge advantage of a vegan diet! Not to mention the good karma we spread as we boycott the use of animals for human consumption.
Health Issues With a Vegan Diet
You may have heard that many Americans get vital nutrients from animal-based foods like omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and protein. Consequently people think vegans miss out on these nutrients. This can sometimes be true. Dr. Greger explained a case in which a man’s spine degenerated from a lack of B-12. Clearly that man had health issues with his vegan diet. Don’t let that be you! This can be avoided if you make sure you eat the right combination of grains, vegetables, berries and supplements.
Here are some samples:
- Instead of an egg for protein, try scrambled, organic tofu.
- Instead of meat for protein, try a grain like quinoa or a handful of nuts.
- Instead of drinking poop and puss (dairy), try almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, or hemp milk.
- Instead of eating fish and contaminating your body with mercury, eat a salad full of kale or lentil soup.
Even better, there is some happy news for those of us that may have been questioning whether too much soy is a bad thing. It has proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 30-50%.
Vegan Nutrition
To avoid any health issues with a vegan diet, make sure you get your vital nutrients. If you are unsure of whether or not you are getting enough in your foods, make sure to supplement with the following.
- B-12: At least 100 mcg/day of vitamin B-12. I find the liquid B-12 palatable and fast-absorbing.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: 250-500 mg of algae-derived DHA daily. I found O-Mega-Zen3 at Whole Foods.
- Vitamin D: Get 15-30 minutes of mid-day sun every day. Now that’s an excuse to take a break from work.
- Calcium: At least 600 mg of calcium-rich foods like kale. Yum, yum, yum.
- Iron: Eat your edamame, spinach and lentils!
In a nutshell, Dr. Greger, helped me see that we can be healthy vegans! I have to say that I was honestly a bit worried at times but now I feel confident that I have the information needed to live a long and healthful life without causing harm to animals. Hooray! What have you been doing to make sure you are living a healthy vegan life?