Is Vegan Diet Good For You? 6 Important Things Be Aware Of

While vegetarians don’t consume meat, fish, and poultry, vegans take it a step further and exclude all animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products and honey. Instead, their nutrition is based on fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. People choose to be vegan for health, environmental, and/or ethical reasons. The question that is often asked is are there any health risks in vegan diet? The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety. A healthy and varied vegan diet that includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes creates a sensible and safe plan. But if you have a health condition, check with your doctor before going vegan.

Here are 6 important things to remember in vegan diet:

1. Proteins

Proteins are one of the most important nutrients in building the body. The recommended amount for an adult is 0.8 grams of protein per day per kilogram of body weight . Boys who are still growing need grater amount ranging from 1-1.2 grams per kilogram (for boys involved a lot in sports, the amount should be even greater). For vegans it is important to eat full protein that includes all the essential amino acids that are essential for the body. The full protein can be achieved by a proper combination of grains and legumes. You can get protein from plant sources in many ways: whole grains, legumes , nuts and seeds – such as soy, chickpeas, beans of various kinds, peas, quinoa, seitan, nuts, almonds, flaxseed and more. A good combination between these foods provides a complete , high-quality protein .

2. Vitamin B12

This is one of the essential vitamins for the human body, and is found mainly in meat and its products. This vitamin is very important for brain function and nervous system, to build hemoglobin and prevent anemia. Plant food sources include relatively small amounts of this vitamin and its availability is small. It is therefore recommended that vegans be tested occasionally by physician, and will receive supplement of this vitamin if needed.

3. Iron

Iron is a very important mineral to the human body. It is used in building hemoglobin and its absence can cause anemia, fatigue and damage growth. Usually the amount of iron and its absorption rate are lower in plant food sources in comparison to animal food sources, so vegans are more prone to iron deficiency. Iron exists in plant food sources is called nonheme and is very influenced by other substances that enhance or decrease its absorption. Effective absorption enhancer is for example vitamin C, if it appears in the same meal that contains iron. In this case the vitamin C  significantly increases the iron absorption in the blood.

It is therefore recommended for example to eat legumes with fresh vegetables or fruits that are rich in vitamin C. Berries are especially high in vitamin C. Even soaking the legumes and sprouting them greatly enhances iron absorption as well as other minerals. However caffeine found in coffee and tea, inhibits iron absorption, so it is recommended not to drink them soon before or after meals.

4. Calcium and vitamin D

Avoiding milk and dairy products requires to complete calcium from other sources. Calcium is abundant in leafy vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, spinach, etc.), soy and tofu, in different seeds such as sesame seeds, flaxseed, nuts and almonds . Also it is advisable to consume products fortified with vitamin D that may also be missing in a vegan diet .

5. Essential fatty acids

Not eating animal food sources such as fish and eggs may lead to a lack of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3. It is therefore recommended to use alternative sources such as algae and seaweed, walnuts, chia seeds and ground flaxseed.

6.Iodine

A vegan diet is low in iodine, so it is recommended to consume salt fortified with iodine.