A vegan is someone who doesn’t eat or use any product that comes from an animal. There are a number of reasons that people choose to go vegan. The main one is animal rights. There are people who love animals so much they couldn’t possibly eat them. There are also a number of health benefits to going vegan.
Here are the benefits of being vegan.
Weight Loss
Have you noticed that you barely ever see an obese vegan?
That’s because going vegan helps everyone control their weight. When you compare vegans to people who eat meat and fish, and even vegetarians, vegans have lower BMIs and are less prone to becoming obese.
The reason for this is primarily because vegans take in much more fiber and much less animal protein. It also involves eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other foods that are good for you.
Asthma
One of the more surprising benefits of going vegan is getting more control over your asthma. Studies have been conducted that concluded the vegan diet helped control bronchial asthma.
The subjects of the studies confirmed that their asthma symptoms were reduced. Some of them were even able to completely eliminate their need for asthma medication. So if you’ve got really bad asthma you should consider going vegan.
Heart Health
Vegans generally have healthier hearts because they have less cholesterol and reduced blood pressure. Add in the smaller BMI and the healthy levels of blood lipids and you have a perfectly healthy cardiovascular system.
Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber which go a long way towards preventing strokes and ischemic heart disorder. The hearts of vegans are further protected by the nuts and whole grains in their diets.
Diabetes
The vegan diet is filled with foods derived from plants that are low in fat and high in complex carbs, which gives you a measure of control over diabetes. Eating a plant-based diet such as a vegan one can help you reduce your dependence on insulin.
Research has shown that vegan diets are more effective for diabetics than the diabetic diet the American Diabetes Association recommends. The vegan diet does more for diabetics than control their blood sugar levels; it also improves hemoglobin and helps them lose weight.
Bone Health
Bones need potassium, magnesium, and vitamin K to stay strong and healthy.
It’s not so surprising that the vegan diet has these nutrients in spades. The vegan diet also helps one maintain their acid-base ratio, which contributes to bone health. If your diet is too acidic it can cause you to lose calcium through urination.
Fruits and vegetables contain magnesium and potassium that alkalises your body and keeps your bones healthy. Studies have also shown that getting enough vitamin K can reduce the chances of bones breaking.
So the next time someone asks you why you went vegan you’ve got plenty of benefits of being vegan to fall back on. There are many other health benefits to being vegan too. It’s amazing what the body can do if you give it what it needs.