More and more people are turning to a vegan diet because it’s generally accepted as healthy. But is it really? Keep reading to find out the benefits of a vegan diet and how it can impact your health.

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Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet

Here are five ways a vegan diet can benefit your health:

Rich in Nutrients

Many people have a hard time believing that you can get all the nutrients you need from eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other plants. But the truth is, plants are great sources of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

May Decrease Risk of Cancer

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, one in three cancers are linked to diet. But their research also shows that a vegan diet can lower your risk of developing cancer by 15%.

May Decrease Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

More than 100 million people in the United States have diabetes or are likely to develop it at some point in their life. Luckily, research from PLOS Medicine shows that following a vegan diet can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 33%.

May Decrease Risk of Heart Disease

A vegan diet is the definition of heart-healthy. According to a 2014 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, vegans have a 42% lower risk of dying from heart disease. Vegans also lower their risk of high blood pressure by up to 75%!

May Decrease Risk of Obesity

Compared to other diets, people who eat a vegan diet have a lower body mass index or BMI. Of course, if you eat a lot of highly-processed vegan foods, it can lead to weight gain.

Are Supplements Necessary on a Vegan Diet?

No matter how you choose to eat, most diets lack some nutritional element. While a vegan diet can be healthy and rich in many vitamins and minerals, vegans may need to supplement with certain nutrients to avoid deficiencies:

• Vitamin B12 prevents nerve damage and protects the heart. It’s naturally found in dirt, and because animals eat dirt, it’s also found in animal products. Some vegan products are fortified with B12, but supplementation may be needed due to the body’s ability to absorb it.

• Vitamin K2 regulates calcium deposition. It ultimately reduces bone loss and the rate of osteoporosis. It’s only found in a few plant-based foods, specifically fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi.

• Iodine is important for healthy thyroid function. The only plant foods with high iodine levels are iodized salt and seaweed.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids can be broken down into three different types: ALA, EPA, and DHA. All three are critical to your health, but DHA is particularly important for your brain. Flax seeds and chia seeds are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

• Zinc is necessary for immune function and repairing cells. This mineral is present in beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds, but it may be difficult to absorb due to their phytate content.

A Word on Vegan Junk Food

Just because a food is vegan doesn’t automatically make it a healthy option. In fact, if you eat a lot of overly-processed vegan foods, it’s almost as bad as the Standard American Diet.

For example, let’s compare a regular hamburger with an Impossible Burger. The hamburger is full of cholesterol, saturated fat, heme iron, and other ingredients that may be harmful to your health. So in this case, the Impossible Burger is better for you. But if you compare it to a vegan bean burger made from whole foods, the Impossible Burger wouldn’t be the healthier option because it contains high amounts of salt, sugar, saturated fat, and other additives. 

Although meat alternatives of your favorite junk foods are helpful when transitioning to a vegan diet or even for an occasional treat, a vegan diet that consists of mostly whole, plant foods is better for your long-term health.

Visit Willow in NYC!

A vegan diet is healthy when you make the right food choices. If you’d like to try some delicious vegan cuisine in NYC, stop by Willow today! Our restaurant at 199 8th Avenue serves vegan comfort food with upscale plating. You can also place pickup or delivery orders online! We look forward to serving you an outstanding meal.

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If you’re confused by the different types of plant-based diets, you’re not alone! Even though they’re built on the same foundation of eating fruits and vegetables, there are a few variations to each. Here, we’ll break down the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based diets to help you better understand their nuances.

Willow serves vegan comfort food with upscale plating. Visit us today for dine-in, delivery, or takeout!

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Vegetarian

Nearly 20% of the world’s population is vegetarian. Many people choose to follow a vegetarian diet for ethical, health, environmental, or religious reasons. Out of the three diets, most people seem to understand that vegetarian means meatless.

People who follow a vegetarian diet do not eat the following: 

• Red meat
• White meat
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Shellfish
• By-products from animal slaughter (e.g. gelatin and animal stock)

A vegetarian diet, however, isn’t a one-size-fits-all diet. There are actually several variations of vegetarianism.

These are some of the most common types of vegetarianism:

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. A vegetarian with this diet won’t eat meat, fish, or poultry, but they will eat eggs and dairy products. “Lacto” comes from the Latin word for “milk” while “ovo” comes from the Latin word for “egg.”
• Ovo-vegetarian diet. This variation of a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, and fish, as well as dairy products due to the dairy industry’s cruel practices. Ovo-vegetarians still eat eggs and foods that contain eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarian diet. Lacto-vegetarians don’t eat meat, poultry, fish, or eggs. They do, however, eat dairy products.
• Pescatarian. People who follow a pescatarian diet don’t eat meat or poultry, but they do eat fish. They may or may not eat dairy products or eggs.

Vegan

A vegan diet completely eliminates all meat and animal-derived products. This includes red and white meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, dairy products, eggs, honey, gelatin, and other additives. Unlike a plant-based diet, a vegan diet doesn’t exclude processed foods or oils.

Raw Veganism

A popular variation of veganism is raw veganism or raw foodism. A raw vegan diet consists of eating foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds that aren’t cooked or processed. A food is considered raw if it’s never been heated over 104–118°F (40–48°C). Since you can’t cook your food, alternative food preparations like juicing, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting are popular. People who follow this type of vegan diet usually do so for health purposes, because they believe that cooking foods destroys the natural enzymes and reduces their nutrient content.

Veganism as a Lifestyle

For many vegans, their eating habits are more than just a diet—it’s a lifestyle rooted in compassion. The Vegan Society defines veganism as, “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.”

Someone who follows a vegan lifestyle usually avoids the following: 

• Buying leather or fur
• Supporting businesses that exploit animals (e.g. zoos and circuses)
• Supporting hunting and killing animals for sport
• Purchasing products that were tested on animals, like makeup

Plant-Based

A whole-food, plant-based diet consists of whole, unrefined, and/or minimally processed plant foods. This includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Those who follow a plant-based diet typically avoid highly-refined and processed foods like bleached flour (e.g., all-purpose flour), refined sugar, and oils.

Now to address the elephant in the room: What about meat? A majority of plant-based doctors promote plant-based diets that are free of meat and animal products because of the growing body of research that shows how they can negatively impact your health. However, a plant-based diet doesn’t necessarily mean meat-free. Someone who follows a plant-based diet may still eat meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products, but in smaller amounts.

Also, while veganism is more of a lifestyle, people who label themselves as plant-based are usually just referring to their diet. It’s not uncommon for those who follow a plant-based diet to become more aware of their choices and eventually follow certain vegan practices.

Visit Willow in NYC!

We hope you better understand the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based diets. If you’d like to try some of the best vegan food in NYC, stop by Willow today! Our restaurant at 199 8th Avenue serves vegan comfort food with upscale plating. You can also place pickup or delivery orders online! We look forward to serving you an outstanding vegan meal.

Order Online