What is Vegan Diet?

In recent years, the number of people who decide to choose to follow a vegan diet has been increasing, and veganism has already become, not only a type of diet, but a lifestyle.

When a person adopts veganism, they not only stop eating meat, dairy or gelatin, but also reject any type of animal exploitation, that is, they put aside cosmetic brands that test on animals or clothes that have been made with them, for example.

But, as we said, the emblem of veganism is diet and there are various factors that have contributed to the increase in vegans, such as the inclusion of vegan products in supermarkets and the belief that it is beneficial to health, since diet is associated vegan with a healthy diet because its base is found in healthy nutrients such as vitamins and fiber.

However, this association is quite wrong because because a diet omits the consumption of meat and animal products, it does not make it instantly healthy. A truly healthy diet must provide the human body with all the nutrients it needs. Thus, there is some controversy since there is a risk when substances that are mainly found in products of animal origin such as fats, calcium or proteins are not consumed.

The vegan diet is a type of diet that does not include any type of animal product or that comes from animals, that is, derivatives such as eggs, milk or honey are not allowed. Therefore, it consists of vegetables, mushrooms, legumes, fruits, cereals, nuts and products derived from plants, such as tofu and almond or soy drink.

Nutritional advantages of the vegan diet compared to omnivorous diets
–Fat and cholesterol intake is reduced. Saturated fats are found mainly in meat or cheese, so by eliminating their intake with the vegan diet we reduce the risk of high cholesterol.

–Increase the intake of fiber and vitamin C. With the high consumption of vegetables, legumes and fruit we increase the fiber and some vitamins that we consume, thus achieving a stronger immune system.

The vegan diet must always be of quality and follow certain guidelines, since if we base it on cookies, processed foods, chocolates and buns, even if they are vegan, we can increase our weight and lose a lot of health.

Does the vegan diet omit essential nutrients?

A well-planned and well-planned vegan diet could become complete and healthy, although it is complicated. You can get all the nutrients the body needs if you take it rigorously. However, it is important to remember that by stopping eating products of animal origin we can lose the intake of the following nutrients and for this reason they must be replaced:

Protein. Protein is essentially obtained from meat and is vital for the growth and maintenance of tissues such as organs, muscles, and skin.
Calcium. Calcium is normally obtained from milk or cheese and is used to strengthen bones, muscles and the nervous system.
Iron. Iron contributes to the formation of red blood cells, which are responsible for distributing oxygen throughout the body.
B12 vitamin. It has a fundamental role in the cellular function of the blood, and helps our nervous system to remain healthy.

It is essential to take these data into account and look for foods of plant origin that help achieve the recommended daily intake of these nutrients. We get iron in dozens of foods such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, some cereals. Additionally, consuming vitamin C may aid in the body’s ability to absorb the iron that comes from these foods.

Calcium is also abundant in nuts, seeds, vegetables, whole grain products, legumes. Some easily absorbed calcium-rich vegetables are: kale or cauliflower. We can also find this mineral in vegetable drinks, although the caloric intake of these must be monitored.

Protein can be found in chickpeas, beans, pistachios, soybeans, etc., but it must be borne in mind that vegetable protein is not a complete protein (of high biological value) as animal protein is. Therefore, for our body to be able to use vegetable protein, it must be combined with other protein sources to the appropriate extent, such as cereals. Another fact to keep in mind is that although legumes, for example, have protein, they also have many more calories than animal protein and the usual portions of these are smaller. In other words, 100-150 grams of meat would be a normal portion while the same amount of legumes is an exaggeration. Which makes the protein intake less. For this reason it is difficult to make a good protein intake only with vegetable protein.