Health Benefits of an Almost Vegan Diet

Since becoming vegetarian I have noticed quite a few health benefits. After I turned thirty my weight began to become a problem for the first time in my life; since going vegetarian though, keeping the weight at a desirable level feels almost effortless. I have also noticed that my body generally seems to have more energy now that I've stopped eating meat. All these benefits have got me thinking about the advantages of moving to an almost vegan diet. This is something that I've been sort of doing anyway, but it would be interesting to know about the health benefits associated with veganism.

A vegan diet is viewed as better for you cardiovascular system. I think that many people who turn to a vegetarian diet end up overdoing it with dairy products. This probably means that they don't benefit so much from the reduction in saturated fats that comes from quitting meat. They are just replacing the reduction in the saturated fats from meat with increased dairy saturated fats. A vegan diet cuts out both of these saturated fats and has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from both ischemic heart disease and stroke plus it reduces your blood pressure. Vegan food does not contain any animal cholesterol.

Another benefit of becoming a vegan is that the vegan diet usually means a high intake of fiber. This is really important for the bowels and can reduce the chances of getting bowel cancer or other problems related to the digestive system. A vegan diet can also mean a higher intake of antioxidants that prevent cancers and may even reduce the effects of aging. It is also a healthy diet in that it reduces the chances of getting type two diabetes.

As well as the above there are quite a few other benefits associated with a vegan diet including;

- A reduced risk of prostate cancer

- Lower risk of breast cancer

- May prevent arthritis

- May reduce the chance of getting cataracts

- May prevent osteoarthritis

- Healthier skin

- Longer life

- Reduced body odor and bad breath

- More energy

The benefits of a vegan diet certainly make the move to it seem worthwhile. I am not quite ready to move fully to veganism yet though. I do try to avoid dairy products and I only eat vegetarian food, but I do like a nice bit of cheese now and again as well as vegetarian pizza. I use soy milk in my tea and coffee though, and I always use a sunflower spread. Maybe in a few years I will be in a better position to fully commit myself to the vegan diet, because the health benefits are obvious and the ethical argument also makes a lot of sense to me.

Sources

http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/

http://library.thinkquest.org/C004833/health_en.shtml

http://www.goveg.com/healthconcerns.asp