If you have been vegan for more than 5 minutes you have probably found yourself trying to defend you choice to some uniformed meat eater. I did that all of the time before I started this website. And since I have started it, the arguments have been overwhelming. That is why I started writing a series of educational articles to help us all be better “vegucated.” I will be adding this article to the list and you can read them all HERE. I want us all to be more informed about vegan nutrition and vegan health in general.
I didn't create these facts from thin air. They come directly from a paper published at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. You can get the link to that paper and read it for yourself if you want. It's at the bottom of this article. It's very clinical and not as easy to read as my simple list. So for those who like light reading my list may be enough. And for those who want the scientific details and source citations you may want to read the original paper.
1. Vegan diets are higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Iron and Phytochemicals
2. Vegan diets are lower in Calories, Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
3. Vegans enjoy a lower risk of Cardiovascular Disease
4. Vegans enjoy a lower rate of obesity
5. Vegans enjoy a lower rate of type 2 diabetes
6. Vegan food boasts a lower rate of some cancers
7. A vegan diet increases the intake of health protective nutrients
8. A vegan diet decreases the intake of foods implicated in many chronic diseases
9. Vegans are generally thinner than meat eaters and vegetarians
10. Vegans have lower total and LDL cholesterol vegetarians
11. Vegans have lower blood pressure than vegetarians
12. Vegans who consume at least 525 mg calcium per day have the same bone density and bone fracture rate as omnivores. This disputes claims otherwise.
13. Vegans who eat a wide variety of food show no deficiency in vitamin D or iron. This disputes claims otherwise.
14. Vegans who eat B12 fortified foods or take B12 supplements are no more B12 deficient than omnivores. This disputes claims otherwise.
15. The muscle mass of Vegans is comparable to that of vegetarians and omnivores.
16. In every large, peer reviewed study to date, vegans have shown better overall health compared to omnivores.
17. In every large, peer reviewed study to date, vegans have been shown to have a better mood and outlook on life than omnivores.
18. In every diet based disease prevention study to date, the vegan diet did no worse than any other diet at preventing disease. And in most cases it did much better than other diets.
After reading this list of scientific facts, you are either very happy you are a vegan or you are questioning why you aren't.
If you need help transitioning to a vegan lifestyle and want more information on being vegan, read our articles on getting vegucated here.
To read the original paper from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition click HERE.
Kinsey Carpenter
These are facts everyone with any knowledge of food knows you shouldn’t have to defend your choice but there are also benefits to eating meat, although I do understand the choice to eat this way because you aren’t supporting mistreatment of animals and stuff and are less likely to ingest growth hormones. But you shouldn’t have to defend your choice to ignorant people
My sodium is a little high today because I had a 20 mile training run and the energy gels are a tad high in sodium…but im never defficent on anything. Plants got me covered 😀 look at all that plant based protein!
and the food is WAY more delicious 🙂 love me some veggies <3
If it weren’t for cheese
#16 & #17 are my fave!!! I hear everyone around on a daily basis discussing and stressing over their weight and I’m just over here like, “wow, I used to do that too”
That is my favorite part of being a vegan!!! Being so content with my food choices, not counting calories, not stressing, no more guilt, etc etc. ✌
Jen Allgayer
And vegans poop more and don’t get constipated. Lol.
Typos in articles make me cringe, especially when “scientific” is in the title.
Very happy to be vegan. The animals are happy too.
Vegans have a lower rate of bacon…
Interesting to note is that the comparative studies don’t take into account food budgets or diet quality. If you compare vegans and omnivores based on diet and lifestyle consciousness the pendulum swings the other direction. It’s not about animal products it’s about the choices regarding what you put in your body.
My nursing school class just did a unit on blood disorders which of course covered the anemias and the role B 12 plays…and most of my class knows I’m vegan. After class, two girls approached me with concerned looks on their faces and told me I was in grave danger of life threatening anemia since I’m vegan. I just thanked them with an equally grave face and tone and assured them that I supplement. ((Face palm))
Vegans poop more is right! And our farts don’t stink making it okay to sneak one out in a movie theater or on the bus! 😉
Not if you eat a lot of broccoli, cabbage, onions and garlic! Lol
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/thousands-of-vegans-studied/
Agree with all but 17 as my husband is vegan and always in a bad mood lol
Jose Claudio Nunez
All you have to do is eat 2 servings of b12 fortified food a day, and you get all the b12 you need…not including supplements.
Thanks for sharing!
Love it! And that’s true! My blood pressure is back in the normal range since going vegan! Can’t wait to have the cholesterol checked 🙂
I am inviting attack, but I am going to put it out there that veganism jives with my soul, but my body withered to 85 pounds — and my jubilant ingestion of a certain class of veggies (broccoli and cabbage etc) induced hypothyroidism. I am now eating pescatarian (vegan plus fish)…and admittedly struggling with body vs soul. It is hard, and vegans who chirp away like it works for everyone don’t help….
The words “vegan and fish” do not go together. Vegan is absolutely NO animal products at all, and if you eat fish, you are not vegan.
Nikki Watarz
<3 https://youtu.be/e–uSA2H6LA
What about vegans who eat a lot of processed food? Potato chips, fries, crackers, etc… Can all be vegan, but that doesn’t mean it is healthy. This article must be referring to raw vegans, or healthy eating vegans.
I’d like to debunk line 13 and 14
13. Vegans who eat a wide variety of food show no deficiency in vitamin D or iron. This disputes claims otherwise.
14. Vegans who eat B12 fortified foods or take B12 supplements are no more B12 deficient than
omnivores. This disputes claims otherwise.
I am vegan that get lots of sun, and every time I get a check-up, my doctor always tells me that my vitamin d level is super low. I’ve been a vegan for 5 years, vegetarian since 2003.
I even take supplements for vitamin d. Maybe it’s just my body?
I’ve been vegan almost 5 years too Harry Dean n only once had to take a vitamin D supplement for a week… However with that being said the same Dr 6 months later put my husband on it as well and he’s an omnivore so who knows might just be you …
We love your content. Thank you for doing what you do! ☮
I take spirulina and my b12 is always high.
Spirulina is the only supplements that I take and every time I do a blood test all my numbers are perfect
Ik mis alleen de wetenschappelijke onderbouwing Teuntje Peeters 😉
The link to the actual study isn’t working for me. I’d really like to read the “clinical” stuff, can you please post the direct link?
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1627S.full