Why Go Vegan? Learn 11 Health Benefits Of A Vegan Diet

You may have asked yourself, “Why should I go vegan?” That totally depends on you! It could be as simple as just trying something new out of curiosity to something long-term like wanting to eat healthier. Many reasons are behind the benefits of being vegan.

The most important part of your plant-based journey, should you wish to start one, is that you’re doing it for yourself and not because of anyone else. Don’t go vegan just because you get pressured to do so. 

What Do Vegan People Eat?

Great Q! That’s probably what you need to know before you start going vegan. This diet excludes all meat and animal-based products. That includes chicken, pork, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, honey… you get the idea. It’s different from a vegetarian diet since it can allow vegan eggs, dairy and fish (it depends on the person).

That sounds like a lot and, quite frankly, it is. But don’t let that scare you! A vegan diet includes delicious plant-based alternatives that fill in that void rather easily. If you really have no idea where to start, then we welcome you to Vegan Essentials! You get pantry and kitchen staples as well as plant-based sweets and treats.

Benefits of Being Vegan

Cut the Fat

Simply put, a vegan diet is a less fatty one. Think about all the meaty meals you may have eaten before or seen your friends consume. Fatty pork chops and oily fried chicken? That doesn’t sound good! Since a lot of meat products need oil or lard to cook, it’s like eating fat on fat!

A vegan diet still makes use of oils, though! But we think the portions are much more controlled. It makes use of a lot of healthier oils, too!

Less Cholesterol

A low-cholesterol diet has always been linked with veganism. This, in turn, could also minimize the risks of heart disease (we’ll get into that later). The main factors are likely the cholesterol-reducing foods that are common in vegan meals, such as oats, beans, and nuts.

A vegan diet won’t suddenly make you invincible when it comes to cholesterol - keep that in mind. There are some manufactured and highly processed vegan foods that are full of preservatives and artificial ingredients, which may bring cholesterol.

Glow Up

While we’re still on the fat and oil train, vegan diets consist of a lot of healthy fats like avocados. Avocados could help skin elasticity and fitness! But in general, fruits and vegetables are naturally rich in antioxidants, which may help with improving your complexion.

While scientists are still looking into it, some people often link skin products that have dairy in them as a cause of their acne breakouts. That’s because not all skin types react the same way. If you want a dairy-free skin care product, then that would mean you’re looking for a vegan one!

Minimize the Risks of Heart Disease

Your heart will definitely thank you for not clogging up its arteries with fatty foods. We glossed over how a vegan diet can minimize cardiovascular diseases, but what exactly are they?

Have you ever heard of ischaemic heart disease? It’s also called coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease, and it’s caused by narrowed heart arteries. Aside from that, you can also minimize your risk of getting a stroke if you practice veganism!

Lose Weight

Weight gain is often linked to a couple of foods - they are sugary and fatty ones. Tackling the sugar first, a vegan diet can minimize your consumption of refined and processed sugars. You can still eat candies and all the other sweets, but this time they’ll be made with natural and organic ingredients. You will also be replacing them with natural fruit and vegetable sugars. 

Without all the unnecessary fatty foods, you’ll be helping yourself shave off a few pounds! The perk of going vegan is that you’ll open your diet to all-natural, organic, and non-GMO ingredients that are usually healthier than the others.

Allergen Awareness

If you find yourself struggling with finding food to eat with your many allergies, plant-based options can be exactly what you need. Ingredients are often clearly listed and there are a ton of allergen-friendly picks.

Can’t have gluten, but still love baking? Get nut flour and buckwheat flour. Love milk chocolate, but can’t have dairy? Get some vegan milk chocolates. Alternatives are easier to find in the vegan sphere!

How Much Land Does a Man Need?

Why do people go vegan? Well, it’s better for the environment! It actually takes more land to make an animal-based patty than one made with plant-based ingredients. Cows, for example, need grazing land as well as a place to sleep. Compare that to a simple crop field! 

Plant-based meats are actually more land efficient (about 420 times more) than conventional meats. While we’re at it, regular meat also needs about 3.3 times more water than what you would need to simply water crops. 

We Love Animals

We like to think of all animal life as friends and not food. In our neck of the woods, animals meant to be eaten as food may lead a good life before arriving at supermarkets. Some areas, however, may not be so kind to them!

By going vegan, you can at least make an impact in our animal friends’ lives. That means no more chickens cooped up in coops. Animals can live free and happy lives - as they should!

Gassy Gasses

Global warming affects everyone, like it or not. The key factor in climate change, greenhouse gasses, may be lessened if folks went vegan! 

From an agricultural standpoint, cows (or cattle) are the top contributor to greenhouse gasses. A single cow can potentially produce 220 pounds of methane! That’s insane!

More Nutrition

The CDC has found that only 10% of adult Americans are eating enough vegetables and only 12.3% of them are eating the recommended daily serving of fruits! We do understand that there are other factors as to why a lot of people can’t get enough fruits and vegetables a day. But we think it’s worth trying as it’s better for long-term health.

Eating fruits and vegetables on a regular basis can lower your risk of getting diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, and others. Eating right is a step in a healthier direction.

Feel Better

With all that we mentioned in this list, you can potentially feel better physically and mentally. From a physical standpoint, maintaining your ideal weight and eating good food will make you look and feel fantastic. You are what you eat, as they always say.

Mentally, without all the worries of eating animal products bogging you down and the lack of artificial sugars and ingredients messing your mood up will definitely give you a positive boost!

Vegan Diet? Try It!

Why go vegan if you’re not doing it for yourself? If you ever feel overwhelmed, our community welcomes you with open arms. You’ll find some good reads and some good products here at Vegan Essentials. Everything’s sorted and ready for you to peruse!