Should I Become a Vegan?

keem88

like many others have said, if you are thinking vagan "diet" for health reasons, then that is foolish. and it is not a diet.
it is a way of life, that many people take on for the rest of their lives. usually ethical reasons and a deep love for animals.
you can be healthy eating fish and lean meats, just make sure the foods you eat are not mass processed, produced and modified. watch out for soy, b/c that can be genetically modified as well. as long as you eat foods in moderation and follow guidelines for serving sizes and nutritional needs, i don't see why you would gain a lot of weight.
if you feel like going vegan is something you want to do and you feel is a right choice for other reasons than health, then try it out. i would recommend like others have said to try it a few meals at a time, and definitely talk with a doctor about it.

starscapenatasha

From a purely biological perspective, you are built to eat meat (you are also built to eat vegetables). What do I mean? Let me share!
Let's start from the top of your digestive tract, your teeth. If you were meant to be an herbivore, all of your teeth would have broad, ridged surfaces for eating plants; if they have any incisors or canines they are modified for biting off plants (but many have no canines at all). If you were meant to be a carnivore, you'd have lots of sharp, pointy teeth for ripping into the flesh of your prey. Think your cat or a velociraptor for what this would look like. The molars, in contrast to the herbivores, are jagged to finish pulling apart the food. So which one do humans have? Neither! Humans have 8 incisors and four canines, eight premolars, and twelve actual molars. This is consistent with a diet that contains both meats and vegetables. Moving down the digestive tract, we will see all sorts of enzymes that are just for metabolizing meat. Your body is an incredibly efficient machine, however, and so if you stop eating meat for too long, it will stop making those enzymes because it knows it does not need them anymore. This is why vegetarians get sick when they try to eat meat - it is not that meat it just awful, it's just that they don't make those enzymes anymore, like an unused muscle.
Small intestines are also a good indicator of what kind of diet an organism should consume. There's this growth that sticks off of them called a cecum. Now this cecum is just a cavity that holds bacteria and increases surface area of the small intestine for better digestion of plant material. If you've guessed it already, good job! Carnivores' cecum is almost nonexistent, it is huge in herbivores. In humans, it is pretty small relative to an herbivore but larger than a carnivore, indicating we don't get our nutrition solely from plant food.
What does this mean? It means your body was built to eat meat. Lean, healthy protein choices are incredibly good for you. Fish is a great example - it is an excellent source of Omega 3s (eggs are too), which are absolutely essential for your body. Yeah, if you eat 3 servings of fish at every meal every single day, you'll get heavy metal poisoning. But then you weren't eating a balanced diet in the first place.
Does this mean that being a vegan is bad? Not necessarily. It's a lifestyle choice, and it can be a healthy one. For one thing, it's easier for many people to maintain a healthy weight as a vegan because most of the food options are lower in calories. However, it can be dangerous - getting your fat and amino acid (protein) profile correct can be tricky. If you want to be a vegan, go for it, but you will always have to pay attention to your diet to make sure you are getting the rights proteins for DNA replication, enzyme function, etc.

- I am a senior in college getting a double major in biology and chemistry with a focus on medical biochemistry. I plan to go to graduate school in the near future and work in hormone research.

teresaottesen

Quote your source APA style with at least 3 sources to support the 100% statement!

starscapenatasha

The only sources claiming veganism is healthy are those with the agenda of convincing you to become vegan. There is truly no advantage in a vegan diet then you couldn't get from just eating a smart omnivorous diet.

If you hit your macros right (protein/fat/carbs) and stay in a reasonable calorie limit, you won't "get fat." Going vegan tends to cause you to have a high carbohydrate/low protein and fat diet, which isn't healthy. And yes, you do need fats to be healthy.

In addition, you'll also have to supplement vitamins, most commonly B12, which can lead to nerve damage in deficiency.

So no, I really don't think you should go vegan at all. And in response to "don't knock it before you've tried it," I was vegan for almost four years until I stopped.

You said what I was trying to say much more succinctly, haha. Good job.

Beezil

I would say it's a bad idea for anyone, even people opposed to eating animals for ethical reasons. If you're concerned about ethical treatment for animals, there are plenty of organic, humane local farms in most places that don't treat their livestock like...well, livestock. I personally tried doing a vegan diet, and although I was doing my best to get adequate proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc, I still felt sick, tired, and weak all the time. I couldn't do it for very long and I wouldn't recommend anyone try it honestly. It's not worth it.

Now I just do what I can when I can and only buy organic or locally farmed meats / dairy. It's not always viable, but hey, I'm human and I do what I am financially capable of given my family's income. Being vegan is extremely hard for most people. If you have the money to buy only organic and only locally farmed / organic meat / dairy - you should do that instead I think. Much better for the animals and for your local farmers. And, much healthier for you!

katemme

I would just worry about the restriction. What if you went out to a restaurant and the only all vegan option was less healthy than grilled fish or vegetables? Meat doesn't have to be part of every meal. I only eat meat occasionally, maybe grilled chicken or turkey a couple times a week for dinner.

_Bob_

NO!

Hungry_Tuna

Just an FYI - if you go vegan, keep in mind that encompasses much more than your diet. Ditch some cosmetics, leather purses or shoes, jackets.. your leather interior vehicle. LOL. Not saying you own any of this, but just proving a point.

It's a lifestyle, and I wouldn't recommend it just to lose weight. As many others have said, if this is the path you wish to follow for ethical reasons, by all means go for it.

Beezil

Just an FYI - if you go vegan, keep in mind that encompasses much more than your diet. Ditch some cosmetics, leather purses or shoes, jackets.. your leather interior vehicle. LOL. Not saying you own any of this, but just proving a point.

It's a lifestyle, and I wouldn't recommend it just to lose weight. As many others have said, if this is the path you wish to follow for ethical reasons, by all means go for it.

This, too.

jacksamjack

I opted for a vegan lifestyle a few years ago - it started as a bit of an experiment, lasted for almost a year. I felt no healthier, came up against issues when trying to find places to eat out and smelled dreadful in the bottom burp department...

In the end a pepperoni pizza called my name really loudly and overnight I returned to a more traditional eating lifestyle.

Try it if you feel you want to - but don't expect to loose weight because of it would be my advice!

WhitneyAnnabelle

No.


I was a vegan for a year...I tried it specifically to lose weight, and guess what, I lost only 3 pounds in the entire year. Don't go vegan unless you have other moral reasons. Here's a short list of foods you should stil want to eat:
-eggs
-lean meats like chicken and turkey
-skim milk
-greek yogurt

Too healthy and delicious and filling to say no to!

Going vegan for weight loss is pointless. A lot of people actually end up gaining weight. While I am also a vegan for ethical reasons, I initially became a vegan for my overall health (as I take 5 medications and wanted to see if I could find a more holistic approach to feeling good). I have come off of one pretty heavy duty drug since changing my diet, and I am weaning off of another, which is a big thing for me (I've never been able to do anything like this). There are other reasons other than "morals" to become a vegan.

WhitneyAnnabelle

No.


I was a vegan for a year...I tried it specifically to lose weight, and guess what, I lost only 3 pounds in the entire year. Don't go vegan unless you have other moral reasons. Here's a short list of foods you should stil want to eat:
-eggs
-lean meats like chicken and turkey
-skim milk
-greek yogurt

Too healthy and delicious and filling to say no to!

Going vegan for weight loss is pointless. A lot of people actually end up gaining weight. While I am also a vegan for ethical reasons, I initially became a vegan for my overall health (as I take 5 medications and wanted to see if I could find a more holistic approach to feeling good). I have come off of one pretty heavy duty drug since changing my diet, and I am weaning off of another, which is a big thing for me (I've never been able to do anything like this). There are other reasons other than "morals" to become a vegan.

I will add, though, that everyone's body is different. Some people thrive on omnivorous diets. Some people don't. There's no point in bashing either diet because, frankly, we all have different needs. I never try to push a vegan diet because I don't believe it is right for everyone. You may find it works for you. I can only give my personal experience.

starscapenatasha

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way now.

Being Vegan or Vegetarian is a lifestyle, not a diet. The idea of not eating meat, poultry, or fish because it's unhealthy is a pretty ignorant statement. Healthy is subjective. You can be a Vegan or a Vegetarian, be overweight, sit your *kitten* on the couch all day and be at higher risk of CVD and CHD then someone that eats meat, is of healthy weight and exercises.

If you refuse to eat meat, poultry, or fish because:

1. It's against your beliefs.
2. You are repulsed at the thought of eating meat from animals.
3. You have an allergy to meat products.
4. You have some kind of medical condition that prevents you from eating meat products.

Then this is all good and well and it's respected.

However, if people are going to pass off not eating meat ,poultry, or fish because it's "unhealthy", then I suggest you stop now and go read some peer reviewed research and studies on the topic.

Have a nice day.

"Peer Reviewed Research and Studies" - Exactly. Peer Reviewed is the key.

Buckeyt

If you're relying on a bunch of processed "vegan" foods, not sure how much of a benefit it is.

As an expirement, went vegan for 3 weeks. Didn't miss meat but felt making better choices and limiting the amount of meat my family did eat was a better option for me.

Not sure it's really any healthier. I was eating tons of eggs, cheese, and meat in the year prior with no ill effects on my weight or cholesterol.

ironanimal

As you've been considering it for little over a day - probably not. Nutrition is key and how you get your nutrition will be vastly different from an omnivorous diet. Personally I feel such a diet is completely ludicrous as to reach the protein intakes for someone like me would mean exposing myself to a lot of soy product, and there is still open debate on the effects soy products can have on your hormonal system. I don't care if anyone else wants to eat like that, but you do need to be fully aware of the possible downsides as well as the positives.

Beezil

From a purely biological perspective, you are built to eat meat (you are also built to eat vegetables). What do I mean? Let me share!
Let's start from the top of your digestive tract, your teeth. If you were meant to be an herbivore, all of your teeth would have broad, ridged surfaces for eating plants; if they have any incisors or canines they are modified for biting off plants (but many have no canines at all). If you were meant to be a carnivore, you'd have lots of sharp, pointy teeth for ripping into the flesh of your prey. Think your cat or a velociraptor for what this would look like. The molars, in contrast to the herbivores, are jagged to finish pulling apart the food. So which one do humans have? Neither! Humans have 8 incisors and four canines, eight premolars, and twelve actual molars. This is consistent with a diet that contains both meats and vegetables. Moving down the digestive tract, we will see all sorts of enzymes that are just for metabolizing meat. Your body is an incredibly efficient machine, however, and so if you stop eating meat for too long, it will stop making those enzymes because it knows it does not need them anymore. This is why vegetarians get sick when they try to eat meat - it is not that meat it just awful, it's just that they don't make those enzymes anymore, like an unused muscle.
Small intestines are also a good indicator of what kind of diet an organism should consume. There's this growth that sticks off of them called a cecum. Now this cecum is just a cavity that holds bacteria and increases surface area of the small intestine for better digestion of plant material. If you've guessed it already, good job! Carnivores' cecum is almost nonexistent, it is huge in herbivores. In humans, it is pretty small relative to an herbivore but larger than a carnivore, indicating we don't get our nutrition solely from plant food.
What does this mean? It means your body was built to eat meat. Lean, healthy protein choices are incredibly good for you. Fish is a great example - it is an excellent source of Omega 3s (eggs are too), which are absolutely essential for your body. Yeah, if you eat 3 servings of fish at every meal every single day, you'll get heavy metal poisoning. But then you weren't eating a balanced diet in the first place.
Does this mean that being a vegan is bad? Not necessarily. It's a lifestyle choice, and it can be a healthy one. For one thing, it's easier for many people to maintain a healthy weight as a vegan because most of the food options are lower in calories. However, it can be dangerous - getting your fat and amino acid (protein) profile correct can be tricky. If you want to be a vegan, go for it, but you will always have to pay attention to your diet to make sure you are getting the rights proteins for DNA replication, enzyme function, etc.

- I am a senior in college getting a double major in biology and chemistry with a focus on medical biochemistry. I plan to go to graduate school in the near future and work in hormone research.

Wow, can't believe I missed this. Awesome educational post. Thank you for adding this!

_VoV

I have been a healthy vegetarian for almost 40 years now, and mostly vegan for a lot of that time. It is not a panacea, nor does it lead to effortless weight loss, like many vegan authors/organizations would lead you to believe. One highly reputable source of evidence-based nutrition information is TheVeganRd.com -- aka Virginia Messina who wrote an excellent guide on vegan nutrition: 'Vegan for Life.' It's well worth the read.

Can you be a healthy, slim vegan? Yes, you can. If you are like me and enjoy eating, you may need to track calories on a plant-based diet, just as you need to with a more varied diet.

I see no harm in trying a vegan diet. If it doesn't work out, you can always go back to eating omni.

Kristhin

It isn't necessary to eat meat, I haven't eaten any animals products in a year and a half and I'm fine. Plus its so much more environmentally friendly to not eat meat. A tip: Being vegetarian makes you FAT. Being vegan makes you thin. So if you're going to do it, go all the way or you'll be dissapointed.

Beezil

It isn't necessary, I haven't eaten any animals products in a year and a half and I'm fine. Plus its so much more environmentally friendly to not eat meat. A tip: Being vegetarian makes you FAT. Being vegan makes you thin. So if you're going to do it, go all the way or you'll be dissapointed.

This has got to be one of the most ignorant, narrow-minded things I've seen posted.

Tourney3p0

The reasons you stated for becoming vegan are flawed. If you just don't want to eat turkey anymore, congratulations on your decision. To stop eating because "it isn't 100% healthy" however is completely misguided.

Like everything, it's fine in moderation. Guess what happens if you eat twice as many fruits and vegetables than you're supposed to. That's right.. you gain weight.

Step back and figure out what you're trying to accomplish.