Added benefits of eating vegan

RhineDHP

And once again we find ourselves spiraling off the original topic. I feel like this happens in nearly every thread I read.


I'll add to the slight off topic-ness of it all! I've been thinking about trying out a vegetarian, not vegan, lifestyle, for a month or so, mainly due to the fact that I have constant stomach problems, and reading various people trying it out and the supposed benefits of similar problems going away. Couldn't hurt to try

Kudos to people who can maintain a vegan lifestyle. I'm all for better treatment for animals and such; its a good practice if said vegan does not adopt a holier than thou attitude. I've only seen this with maybe one person in my group of acquaintances though. Then again there will always be holier than thou people, no matter what diet/lifestyle, and people bashing on said diet/lifestyle.

Fun times.

ldrosophila

im addressing a specific group of women who dont know anything about veganism and want to loose weight.. theres so many things wrong with veganism especially for a woman its not even funny. aside from the estrogen LINKED with cancer, women need IRON especially while on/right before menstration otherwise you can become anemic.. hmm whats in blood? and i'm not adressing a bunch of grown men who are already vegan. The only reason im on here is to help WOMEN understand veganism because so many of them dont know what it even is and are trying to loose weight and think this is a quick fix.. -especially by the brainwashing title "benefits of eating vegan" - and to impress guess who? ..men. guess who im being attacked by? a man. funny. so just pretend like im not here and go be a good boy and play with your little vegan friends. the only people im going to respond to are women who seriously want questions answered by someone who is Not vegan with a biased opinion towards veganism..

The hate for men is strong in this one.

For the record - 7 out of 10 of the top "highest in Iron" foods are vegan, and 1 is vegetarian - only 3 contain animal products.

Also meat has been LINKED with cancer. Here- from the National Cancer Institute (they can be bought too, so looks like the beef council's cheque bounced). http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats
Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk

Have we not killed all your arguments yet? throw a few more my way, I've got about 10 mins to kill...

You need to remind some of these people that a lot of the plant forms of nutrients are not bioavailable unless processed in certain ways. They'll need a few pointers how to improve the absorption rate especially the new vegans.

Yep!
Flax is a big one.

Well flax is good although I have read some thing that say in pregnancy fish oil is better, but I'm a new vegan how do I get the iron from spinach, broccoli, and kale?
Is B12 available to me without ruminate digestion along the ileus?

Those kind of things.

Honestly I take a multi & other supplements as well... Not b/c of my diet (I believe many meat eaters should be taking some supplements too). The best way to absorb the nutrients in those green veggies is to eat them raw or throw them in the blender. If you are going to cook them, you'll lose some nutrients, but you can save the water for your veggie shakes too if you'd like.

Just some FYI for the vegans (not one love my dairy too much):
Iron absorption from plant sources will improve with an added citrus acid such as lemon, oranges, lime. Some thought that breaking open the cell walls also improves iron intake by your intestines. This can be done either with mechanical methods or cooking anything to help break open the tough cellulose walls of plants. Remember though absorption will always be increased with added citrus acid I think acetic acid can also help such as vinegar.

Calcium-cooking is a good option here once again youre breaking open the tough cellulose wall. Calcium is also better absorbed with a protein carrier. Make sure when you are eating you make a complete protein (ie beans and rice) and combine it with some calcium rich vegetables like kale.

B12 there is some question about the bioavailability of it in nutritional yeast but it is in there along w/ some kombucha tea. I think if you have enough intrinsic factor in your intestinal walls you can increase absorption. Once again, the best source is always animal especially the liver and animals that tend to be bottom feeders ie they eat fecal material. What I have read is that the B12 in soil in not available to us humans hence why animals have to eat it and have their own bacteria make it available for us. I still think B12 supplementation would be the best.

Healthy bacteria, since vegans do dont eat a lot of fermented foods often times you see a poor bacterial flora especially if taking antibiotics. I would defiently suggest tempeh, kimchi, pickled vegetables, and supplementation. I think some of the vegan yogurt is cultured.

Vitamin D-sunshine of course is the best. Make sure you are still eating plenty of fats and oils. You want a nice profile of omega-3, saturated, omega-9, and omega-6. Your best bet for saturated is palm or coconut oil. You can get omega-3 from flax another great source is walnuts in fact I think its one of the best sources of vegan omega-3. A little expensive though.

Vitamin E-EAT YOUR OIL AND FAT

Sulfur amino acids-make sure you are eating those beans and legumes and make sure you compliment it with a rice, corn, or wheat starch. COMPLIMENT COMPLIMENT COMPLIMENT

Your pretty much good on the other stuff ie vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, the B vitamins. Most minerals the vegans dont have a problem with besides calcium and iron. Molassess is always packed full of some great minerals. Make your own brown sugar and get a mienral punch!

allie_rat

im addressing a specific group of women who dont know anything about veganism and want to loose weight.. theres so many things wrong with veganism especially for a woman its not even funny. aside from the estrogen LINKED with cancer, women need IRON especially while on/right before menstration otherwise you can become anemic.. hmm whats in blood? and i'm not adressing a bunch of grown men who are already vegan. The only reason im on here is to help WOMEN understand veganism because so many of them dont know what it even is and are trying to loose weight and think this is a quick fix.. -especially by the brainwashing title "benefits of eating vegan" - and to impress guess who? ..men. guess who im being attacked by? a man. funny. so just pretend like im not here and go be a good boy and play with your little vegan friends. the only people im going to respond to are women who seriously want questions answered by someone who is Not vegan with a biased opinion towards veganism..

I was borderline anaemic eating meat, meat is not some magic cure all way to get iron. You are not vegan and you don't sound like you have any real knowledge on the matter, so you offering to answer women's questions is a little scary...you are basically saying you want them all to take your view. It really saddens me that people are so ready to question what they are told without ever properly looking into it! rather than spout angriness at people would it not be more wise to tell them to go and find out as much information as possible from reliable sources and weigh things up properly and independently decide what might be best for them individually?

EvgeniZyntx

For the record - 7 out of 10 of the top "highest in Iron" foods are vegan, and 1 is vegetarian - only 3 contain animal products.

7 out of 10! Really!? Is black pudding on your list? This gets silly.

Vegetarian or not, one can get sufficient iron in variety of ways - A person is likelier to have iron deficiency in any restrictive diet of any kind. Whatever your diet, pay attention to variety, get health checks.

ETA: Do not take iron supplements unless you need them, they can cause significant organ damage if you overdose.

Rodap9631

good for you and well done.

EvgeniZyntx

.

Rodap9631

Not to rain on your parade, but there are also plenty of people who report negative health effects from being a vegan, even doing everything correctly.

Not to mention that oreos, potato chips, french fries, and soda are all vegan.

Yes and healthy vegans don't eat a lot of those foods. Question though, if you didn't want to rain on her parade, why did you?

ldrosophila

Not to rain on your parade, but there are also plenty of people who report negative health effects from being a vegan, even doing everything correctly.

Not to mention that oreos, potato chips, french fries, and soda are all vegan.

Yes and healthy vegans don't eat a lot of those foods. Question though, if you didn't want to rain on her parade, why did you?

I actually read something interesting the other day about taiwainese nuns who are basically vegans had an elevated homocystiene level and these were "clean eating" women lived off the land. Basically what they were finding is because of depleted b12 levels they had the marker for increased risk of heart attack strocke. Well at least thats what the were proposing could have been other confounding factors.

Lupercalia

The thread is about the health benefits of veganism. We're saying that a vegan diet is not necessarily healthy, and that not everyone can be healthy on an ideal vegan diet. That hardly meets the definition of "talking crap." Unless, of course, YOU feel threatened by anything less than fawning adoration . . .

This might blow your mind but vegans generally know that avvegan diet isnt necessary healthly. Most of us read labels and are well aware how much junk food is actually vegan k?

If they know that, then why did they start a threat about how healthy being vegan is? Furthermore, I fail to see the difference between someone who tried to be vegetarian and got sick commenting on a thread like this, and someone who tried going low carb with disastrous results mentioning their experience on a thread about the health benefits of going low carb.

I don't know because maybe they wanted to see if anyone else had any benefits. You can go back and see my post and you'll see I did have some benefits but warn its not a cureall. Honestly i think you just came on this thread to troll

I had some "benefits". My hair started falling out, my complexion took on a greyish cast, dark circles settled in around my eyes and I was both tired and depressed. There was also this really awesome brain fog that settled in at about year three, I would forget things and space out. I also started feeling tingling in my limbs. I will admit the first two years of being vegan were pretty awesome, these symptoms started around year 3.

My vegan "friends" just insisted I was doing it wrong. I was supplementing and choking down nutritional yeast to no avail. I remember preparing food for my dog (raw meat - sorry, dogs eat meat and I wasn't going to force her to be vegan too - thats cruel) and salivating over the smell of it. When I told my "friends" they insisted that veganism was the only super healthy way to be and I was obviously not doing something right. Looking back at pictures, I am pretty shocked, I was obviously not well.

I ended it. I bought some ground lamb (grass fed/hormone free) and made myself a burger. I ate it and promptly got sick. I tried again a few days later with a smaller portion until I was able to stand it. Slowly I started feeling better and my symptoms abated. I am still mostly vegetarian, most of my protein comes from eggs/milk, but I do eat small portions of fish, poultry, and game. I do believe that meat should be raised humanely, but I do eat meat.

I know there are people who exist happily for decades on a vegan diet, but everybody is different and for SOME people a vegan diet may not be sustainable in the long term.

^^^^THIS^^^^. I lived 20 years as a vegetarian, then a vegan, and finally as a raw vegan. I raised a son as a veggie, then a vegan, then back to veggie after veganism proved unsustainable for him.

This diet is NOT the healthiest for everyone. Lots of people seem perfectly happy and healthy eating as a vegetarian, even fewer as vegans. But for others, it just isn't gonna work. I became part of that last group, and so did my son. I had similar symptoms to the person I've quoted--grey complexion, dark circles under my eyes, hair loss, poor digestion, and a generally "soft" body. I was cold a lot. I had lots of issues with my joints (arthritis) and soft tissue (tendons, ligaments) that I assumed were related to my athletic childhood/young adulthood. I also struggled with anxiety and depression. Yes, I was supplementing with a bunch of stuff, eating a varied diet, avoiding processed foods as much as possible (though it is hard as a veggie/vegan considering just how very processed stuff like tofu is).

Let me just say that I grew up in a very veggie/vegan friendly environment. I lived nearly my entire life in the pacific northwestern US, which is probably the most veggie/vegan friendly part of the US, if there is such a thing. Tons of veggie/vegan restaurants, regular grocery stores always stocked the usual veggie/vegan products, etc. I knew how to prepare all my own food, I loved (still do) nearly ALL fruits and veggies and ate a wide variety regularly. However, I still became ill.

My son, whom I raised as a vegetarian and briefly as a vegan, was generally quite healthy as a kid, grew normally, etc. He became ill when he went away to a boarding school as a dancer, and was unable to sustain the way we were eating back at home. He was a growing teenage boy (15 yrs old at the time) and was simply unable to get enough nutrients and particularly IRON from his school's cafeteria offerings. He was sent home ill that summer, with pretty serious anemia. By then, I had already figured out that I felt much better when I ate meat. I still ate tons of fruit and veggies, but found that by eliminating soy and adding animal products back into my diet that I felt so much better physically and emotionally. I looked better, had more energy, and had NO anxiety/depression.

My son had the choice to either stay at home and continue his vegetarian lifestyle, because we could support that way of eating at home, or return to his school to dance and start eating animal products. He chose to eat animal products and go back to his school. That was nearly three years ago, and he's also MUCH healthier and happier since incorporating animal products into a heavy veggie diet. I asked him a month ago or so if he planned to return to vegetarian or vegan eating after he was done growing, and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said "why would I do that???".

I have to agree with him. We're both healthier and feel much happier since eating grass fed animal products in combination with a bunch of nice veggies/fruits.

I don't think everyone must eat meat. I wouldn't suggest that. But I also don't think vegetarian/vegan diets are the healthiest diets on the planet. Some people are ok eating that way, but a lot of us just aren't.

I found out that I could reduce all the internal inflammation I was experiencing by cutting out grains and flours, which I think really helped a lot with many of the health issues I was experiencing, particularly the joint/tendon issues and digestive troubles. I believe the hormonal and brain chemistry issues are/were being worked out by completely cutting out soy products and adding back animal products.

I still love my veggies! But they definitely serve me better when combined with healthy animal products.

ldrosophila

The thread is about the health benefits of veganism. We're saying that a vegan diet is not necessarily healthy, and that not everyone can be healthy on an ideal vegan diet. That hardly meets the definition of "talking crap." Unless, of course, YOU feel threatened by anything less than fawning adoration . . .

This might blow your mind but vegans generally know that avvegan diet isnt necessary healthly. Most of us read labels and are well aware how much junk food is actually vegan k?

If they know that, then why did they start a threat about how healthy being vegan is? Furthermore, I fail to see the difference between someone who tried to be vegetarian and got sick commenting on a thread like this, and someone who tried going low carb with disastrous results mentioning their experience on a thread about the health benefits of going low carb.

I don't know because maybe they wanted to see if anyone else had any benefits. You can go back and see my post and you'll see I did have some benefits but warn its not a cureall. Honestly i think you just came on this thread to troll

I had some "benefits". My hair started falling out, my complexion took on a greyish cast, dark circles settled in around my eyes and I was both tired and depressed. There was also this really awesome brain fog that settled in at about year three, I would forget things and space out. I also started feeling tingling in my limbs. I will admit the first two years of being vegan were pretty awesome, these symptoms started around year 3.

My vegan "friends" just insisted I was doing it wrong. I was supplementing and choking down nutritional yeast to no avail. I remember preparing food for my dog (raw meat - sorry, dogs eat meat and I wasn't going to force her to be vegan too - thats cruel) and salivating over the smell of it. When I told my "friends" they insisted that veganism was the only super healthy way to be and I was obviously not doing something right. Looking back at pictures, I am pretty shocked, I was obviously not well.

I ended it. I bought some ground lamb (grass fed/hormone free) and made myself a burger. I ate it and promptly got sick. I tried again a few days later with a smaller portion until I was able to stand it. Slowly I started feeling better and my symptoms abated. I am still mostly vegetarian, most of my protein comes from eggs/milk, but I do eat small portions of fish, poultry, and game. I do believe that meat should be raised humanely, but I do eat meat.

I know there are people who exist happily for decades on a vegan diet, but everybody is different and for SOME people a vegan diet may not be sustainable in the long term.

^^^^THIS^^^^. I lived 20 years as a vegetarian, then a vegan, and finally as a raw vegan. I raised a son as a veggie, then a vegan, then back to veggie after veganism proved unsustainable for him.

This diet is NOT the healthiest for everyone. Lots of people seem perfectly happy and healthy eating as a vegetarian, even fewer as vegans. But for others, it just isn't gonna work. I became part of that last group, and so did my son. I had similar symptoms to the person I've quoted--grey complexion, dark circles under my eyes, hair loss, poor digestion, and a generally "soft" body. I was cold a lot. I had lots of issues with my joints (arthritis) and soft tissue (tendons, ligaments) that I assumed were related to my athletic childhood/young adulthood. I also struggled with anxiety and depression. Yes, I was supplementing with a bunch of stuff, eating a varied diet, avoiding processed foods as much as possible (though it is hard as a veggie/vegan considering just how very processed stuff like tofu is).

Let me just say that I grew up in a very veggie/vegan friendly environment. I lived nearly my entire life in the pacific northwestern US, which is probably the most veggie/vegan friendly part of the US, if there is such a thing. Tons of veggie/vegan restaurants, regular grocery stores always stocked the usual veggie/vegan products, etc. I knew how to prepare all my own food, I loved (still do) nearly ALL fruits and veggies and ate a wide variety regularly. However, I still became ill.

My son, whom I raised as a vegetarian and briefly as a vegan, was generally quite healthy as a kid, grew normally, etc. He became ill when he went away to a boarding school as a dancer, and was unable to sustain the way we were eating back at home. He was a growing teenage boy (15 yrs old at the time) and was simply unable to get enough nutrients and particularly IRON from his school's cafeteria offerings. He was sent home ill that summer, with pretty serious anemia. By then, I had already figured out that I felt much better when I ate meat. I still ate tons of fruit and veggies, but found that by eliminating soy and adding animal products back into my diet that I felt so much better physically and emotionally. I looked better, had more energy, and had NO anxiety/depression.

My son had the choice to either stay at home and continue his vegetarian lifestyle, because we could support that way of eating at home, or return to his school to dance and start eating animal products. He chose to eat animal products and go back to his school. That was nearly three years ago, and he's also MUCH healthier and happier since incorporating animal products into a heavy veggie diet. I asked him a month ago or so if he planned to return to vegetarian or vegan eating after he was done growing, and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said "why would I do that???".

I have to agree with him. We're both healthier and feel much happier since eating grass fed animal products in combination with a bunch of nice veggies/fruits.

I don't think everyone must eat meat. I wouldn't suggest that. But I also don't think vegetarian/vegan diets are the healthiest diets on the planet. Some people are ok eating that way, but a lot of us just aren't.

I found out that I could reduce all the internal inflammation I was experiencing by cutting out grains and flours, which I think really helped a lot with many of the health issues I was experiencing, particularly the joint/tendon issues and digestive troubles. I believe the hormonal and brain chemistry issues are/were being worked out by completely cutting out soy products and adding back animal products.

I still love my veggies! But they definitely serve me better when combined with healthy animal products.

Glad you and your son got your health back that in the end is the most important. You cant move mountains if you arent healthy.

kingofcrunk

I think veganism can be a really healthy way to live but you have to know what you're doing and make sure to get all your macro nutrients from non-animal sources. I know someone who is vegan and is a healthy weight but is always ill and run down and I'm sure it's because his diet is so poor.

ashleab37

Awesome thread! Anyone have a good alternative for greek yogurt? I love it and it's the one thing that really keeps me from going vegan...

So Delicious makes a greek yogurt and its really good. I eat their regular yogurt all the time and it has a good amount of calcium plus most of the same active cultures that dairy yogurt has. I've found it at whole foods but they have a store finder on their website. The ice cream is great as well
http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products

why eat fake dairy products?

I wouldn't call them 'fake' as it's made from coconut milk which isn't a fake ingredient, its just better for you than dairy and tastes the same. Isn't that the point of dieting? Substituting things you like to eat with healthier versions? In my opinion a vegan diet is just one step up from that as it cuts out the ingredients that are considered ok calorie-wise but bad for you in the long run.

"Better for you" ... nice

now_or_never13

Being vegan is such a healthier life style - for the animals and for the people. People who try and justify meat eating are just so ignorant. Anyway, congratulations on the change. :smooched:

How is a meat eating diet causing that person to be ignorant?

People will make their own dietary choices on what they feel is best for them. What you think is best for you may not be good for me.

If you don't open yourself up to all the options out there and understand other choices in life... and think your way is the best way, you are tghe ignorant one.

now_or_never13

There are *benefits* to being vegan?

Well, if you're not looking for the easily digestible and vital nutrients that can only be found in animal foods, sure, you can think like that...

You realize there are other ways to get those nutrients right?

naschulze

I was just thinking about people who are vegans/vegetarians and their weight loss this morning. I watched a food show last night where they made a veggie burger. I personally don't want to be a vegetarian or vegan, but I am inspired to eat more veggies by this. Do you take supplements for protein? I had a friend become sick (who was vegan) because she didn't take them often so please do. I can't remember exactly what happened, but I know she had to start eating meat again. I'm sure someone knows what the cause would be.

Tofu has protein, so do beans. This site is good for listing good vegan sources for protein, iron, calcium etc. http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm.

now_or_never13

and its not a "theory" its scientific fact, im a nurse. theres people on here that really want to loose weight and think that becomming a vegetarian will make them loose weight faster -not true. and also if your not extremely knowledgable about what you are eating when cutting out large groups of food you can become malnourished/anemic.

I'm sorry but if I ever had your as a nurse I would run the opposite direction.

Why do people feel the need to think that people choose a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle because it will make you lose weight cutting out meat? I'm sure there are some people out there who think that if they cut out meat they will lose weight. But there are a lot of other reasons people choose this lifestyle. People choose this lifestyle due to envirnmental reasons... ethical reasons, digestive reasons (some people can't properly digest meat... or it causes them stomach upset). Don't just assume people follow this lifestyle for weight loss. I am a healthy vegetarian. I am not malnourished or anemic and I haven't consumed meat in almost a year. As a nurse you should be more open to the various opinions and options... stop being so closed minded and please, work on grammar and spelling.

Gallowmere1984

I was just thinking about people who are vegans/vegetarians and their weight loss this morning. I watched a food show last night where they made a veggie burger. I personally don't want to be a vegetarian or vegan, but I am inspired to eat more veggies by this. Do you take supplements for protein? I had a friend become sick (who was vegan) because she didn't take them often so please do. I can't remember exactly what happened, but I know she had to start eating meat again. I'm sure someone knows what the cause would be.

Tofu has protein, so do beans. This site is good for listing good vegan sources for protein, iron, calcium etc. http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm.

Yes, they do, but beans' protein to calorie ratio is still completely horrible when compared to any meat product, except for maybe completely bottom of the barrel ground beef that's 25%+ fat.

As for tofu...I have my own issues with any male ever consuming that quantity of soy, but that's for another topic.

naschulze

Is there any way MFP can get a vegan thread? I am not judging people for following whatever diet they feel is best for themselves, but I am getting tired of the constant self-aggrandizing preachy posts about how awesome veganism is and how gross it is to eat "corpses". Seriously, we all get it, you are all sooooo super awesome for not eating meat/dairy/honey and we are all barbarians.

I experienced many of the same awesome health benefits by not eating processed foods/grains/legumes. I pretty much eat meat/fruit/vegetables/dairy (I have no intolerances to dairy). I think any diet that isn't the Standard American processed food free for all diet will make anybody see health benefits. If veganism works for you and you feel awesome...well great! I'm glad you found something that works for you! It does not make you a better person.

Sorry for the rant, and double sorry if I've offended anybody. I am just sick of all the preaching.

I posted this for the same reasons others post about losing weight etc. I found a diet that works for me and wanted to read success stories from others. You have no obligation to visit these threads and read these stories, so eat what you want if it works for you.

now_or_never13

yep, well cant photo copy a med book. obviously im in the wrong place because your all already to stuck in your ways and defensive about it.. oh well i tried. i think ben is the only normal/descent person here.. last thing ill say... your cat and dog need meat to survive. there mammals. your a mammal. nuff said.

Please do some research. I don't have the links on me however there are some animals who are thriving on a vegan diet. Sure, it might not be what their bodies were designed to eat but they can still thrive on that kind of diet.

Just because you are a mammal doesn't mean you HAVE to consume meat or animal products. Humans can survive on a diet that includes meat or doesn't include meat.

now_or_never13

Is there any way MFP can get a vegan thread? I am not judging people for following whatever diet they feel is best for themselves, but I am getting tired of the constant self-aggrandizing preachy posts about how awesome veganism is and how gross it is to eat "corpses". Seriously, we all get it, you are all sooooo super awesome for not eating meat/dairy/honey and we are all barbarians.
Sorry for the rant, and double sorry if I've offended anybody. I am just sick of all the preaching.

There are also a lot of people out there who preach that a meat eating diet is the only way to go (as proven by a lot of people on this site). While I agree with what you had said, it goes for meat eaters too.

I think regardless of their diet people need to learn that yours is not better than mine, mine is not better than yours... everyone has the power to choose what works best for them.