5 Health Benefits of Going Vegan

Year after year, more people are cutting out meat from their diets - with some going all the way and becoming vegan and adopting a entirely plant-based diet. 

A recent report from finder.com showed that the number of vegans in the UK skyrocketed by 40% before the end of 2020 - this is expected to increase by the end of 2021.

It's pretty clear that veganism is on the rise - but what are the health benefits of going vegan?

1. A Vegan Diet Can be Richer in Some Nutrients

Just because you're removing animal products from your diet, doesn't mean you'll be removing nutrients.

Replacing meat with with healthier foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, cereals, grains, pulses and other proteins will contribute towards a healthy and balanced vegan diet.

Research is key to having a balanced plant-based diet. Look into what food provides what nutrients such as protein, iron, B12, calcium, omega 3 and zinc. Introduce supplements if you have to.

2. It Can Improve Heart Health

Foods high in saturated fat, such as meat, cheese and butter, can result in high cholesterol levels. Therefore, eliminating these particular foods from your diet will naturally reduce the risk of heart disease. 

Increased dietary fibre can also be linked to improved heart health - beans, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and fruit are known to be the best sources of fibre. 

3. It Can Help to Reduce your Blood Sugar Levels

A vegan diet consists of foods which are high in fibre, such as vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts. Increasing your fibre intake can help lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is helpful for those with diabetes. 

4. It Can Aid Weight-Loss

Those on a vegan diet often eat fewer calories in comparison to other diets, this is because a lot of plant-based foods and alternatives contain a smaller number of calories for the same sized portion. 

It is important to ensure you are getting an ideal daily calorie intake and maintaining a balanced vegan diet. 

5. It May Protect You Against Certain Cancers

According to Cancer Research UK, there are steps you can take to make getting cancer less likely which includes adopting a healthier diet.

Cancer Research UK defined a healthy diet as high in vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, and protein such as pulses (lentils or beans) and low in processed and red meat and high calorie foods.

Vegans generally eat larger amounts of vegetables, wholegrains and pulses proteins in comparison to nonvegans - they also avoid meat and dairy products which some studies suggest may slightly increase the risk of some cancers.

By eliminating red and processed meats from your diet, you can remove these possible risks.

There's still a lot of research to be conducted around the health benefits of becoming vegan - however there are a lot of recent studies to suggest that adopting a vegan diet can be beneficial for your health. 

So, what is a healthy vegan diet?

 NHS England says that a healthy vegan diet consists of: 

• 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates and choose wholegrain where possible
• Have some dairy alternatives such as soya drinks and yoghurts
• Eat beans, pulses and other proteins
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts
• Drink plenty of fluids (the government recommends 6-8 cups per day)

We also have our Vegan Starter Bundle, containing delicious meat flavoured sauces that are 100% vegan and some other best selling Skinny Food Co vegan products.