Veganism and Health

Vegan health starts with an understanding of a balanced, nutritious diet. Yes, we need protein, calcium, B12, iron and zinc, but it’s not necessary that we get them from animal sources. In fact, getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals from the vegan food in a vegan diet is the healthiest way to go.

According to the vegan food pyramid, vegan health depends on a daily vegan diet that includes:

• 2 or more servings of legumes (beans, peas, lentils, tempeh, tofu)
• 3 or more servings of vegetables (broccoli, collards, kale, carrots and sweet potatoes)
• 3 or more servings of fruit (citrus, melons, berries, bananas, apples)
• 6 to 11 servings of whole grains (bread, rice, pasta, cereal, corn, millet, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, oats, tortillas)

And since deficiencies are a definite possibility associated with a vegan lifestyle, it’s essential to vegan health that you refer to trusted vegan resources for the vegan information you need on how to get from vegan food the vitamins and minerals you’d otherwise get from meat or dairy.

For instance, the health benefits of a vegan diet can be realized when you can get:

• Protein from legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains
• Calcium from dark green vegetables, like spinach, collard greens, kale and broccoli
• Vitamin B12 from enriched soy milk and cereals, and nutritional yeast
• Iron from dried beans and peas, lentils, whole grains, dark leafy green vegetables and dried fruit (to aid in iron absorption, combine these iron-rich food with those  rich in vitamin C, such as citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli)
• Zinc from whole grains, wheat germ, nuts and soy

Then it’s simply a matter of compiling a healthy, tasty collection of vegan recipes that incorporate all of these elements.

Done right, the health benefits of a vegan diet include:

• Lower body mass
• Lower cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower rates of hypertension, diabetes, prostate and colon cancer
• Lower death rates from ischemic heart disease

You can find a great deal of vegan information on vegan health (and veganism in general) here at The Vegan Pledge, including vegan diet, vegan food and vegan recipes, as well as the history of veganism.