What Are The Benefits of a Vegan Diet?

More than ever before, people are switching to a vegan or plant-based diet. As of 2020, as much as a quarter of our acquaintances may identify as vegan.

Although there are a few variations, generally speaking, a vegetarian avoids all meat products. A vegan on the other hand does not consume any animal products whatsoever, including eggs, cheese, honey and milk.

People choose the lifestyle of a plant-based diet for a variety of reasons, whether it be their concern for animal welfare, they want to feel healthier, or because they feel it’s unhealthy for their bodies and the planet to consume animal products that are injected with hormones. Either way, adding more whole plant foods that are rich in nutrients and lower in fat and calories can only benefit you and has few risk factors.

If you're ready to try out a vegan lifestyle, check out these benefits outlined below.

Health Benefits of A Vegan Diet

One major advantage that prompts people to convert to vegan diets and skip animal foods is the improvement of their health. Eating a plant-based diet can improve cholesterol levels as egg yolks and red meat are usually what cause this to spike. Candy, junk food, and refined grains, although they may be vegan, should be consumed in moderation.

A vegan diet can also:

• Decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease
• Reduce the chance of heart disease
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower risk of colon and prostate cancer
• Help control diabetes through lower blood sugar levels
• Prevent rheumatoid arthritis
• Aid in weight loss
• And more

Plus, did you know that increased consumption of processed meat can have detrimental health effects as they’re high in saturated fats? Sticking to a diet high in whole food, fresh fruits and vegetables is the way to accomplish the best health outcomes.

Finding Nutrients Elsewhere

Protein

Protein levels are not usually a problem for meat-eaters, but vegans tend to not have as much as their body needs. To fix this, try to incorporate chickpeas, lentils, tofu, edamame and nutritional yeast into your vegan diet.

Vitamin B-12

If your vitamin B-12 levels are dipping, you may find yourself lacking energy. Apart from taking a supplement, try eating fortified rice and cereals.

Iron

Thankfully you can stick to your vegan diet and still get enough iron from dried fruit, black-eyed peas and tofu.

Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids are imperative to keeping your brain healthy. Leafy green vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are where you can find these.

Folic Acid

Pregnant women with vegetarian eating habits are at risk of not consuming as much folic acid as mothers who eat meat. Loading up on leafy greens such as kale, and lots of lentils, make a plant-based vegan diet possible while pregnant, but your doctor can provide medical advice if you are worried.

Vitamin D

Lastly, make sure you are getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D. Drinking orange juice and getting some sunshine every day and you shouldn't have a problem!

The Environment

A major deciding factor when someone is considering a vegan lifestyle is the impact it can have on the well-being of our planet. With the world's population as high as it is, our planet simply cannot support the level of food production.

If people were to consume more plant-based foods it would take the pressure off of the earth by lowering the amount of greenhouse gasses. Over half of the deforestation worldwide is due to converting it to animal agriculture land, mostly as a space for cattle to graze.

The only way to ensure our planet's sustainability is to make a move towards limiting the consumption of animal products and encourage a plant-based diet. In doing this, we will decrease the amount of pollution and lower the strain on our water and fuel supply.

Animal Welfare Issues

Many turn a blind eye or are uninformed when it comes to the cruel and inhumane practices that go into raising animals for consumption. Unfortunately, worse conditions for the animals prove to be more profitable for businesses. At the end of the day, the animals are viewed as no more than pieces of meat instead of living creatures in a factory farm setting. Even smaller corporations with the best intentions often succumb to the need to produce in a financially viable way, unable to compete with efficient large corporations.

Is A Vegan Diet Right For You?

We understand that a vegan diet isn’t for everyone, but one thing is for sure: there are many health benefits one can experience while eating a plant-based diet. If you’re not comfortable with the thought of eating animals, animal products, or supporting animal cruelty issues that are often raised with factory farms, try switching to a vegan diet or even purchasing your meat from a local farmer.

As well as bringing you peace of mind knowing that you’re not eating animal-based products, you can also feel rest assured knowing that you are reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, prostate cancer, arthritis, and more.

Go Vegan With La Dee Da Sauces

With La Dee Da, going vegan has never been easier. We’re dedicated to creating delicious, vegan and gluten-free sauces, soups and jellies that everyone will love. Browse through our products today and make sure to check out our recipes page to gather ideas on how to use our delicious products that will assist your vegan lifestyle.