Is veganism a healthier diet option?
Vegan diets, devoid of ANY animal product (including ghee and honey), are becoming increasingly popular as a supposedly "healthier" diet option. However, this healthy tag is not supported completely by scientific studies and research.
Studies do show that vegan diets have some positive effects on your health, since veganism lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and diverticular disease. Sadly, studies also showed that some vegans may have a higher risk of developing bone fractures if they had calcium and Vit D deficiencies. Other studies show that vegans and vegetarians may have a higher risk of getting a haemorrhagic stroke.
Despite the rising popularity of vegan diets and the number of studies on their impact on our health why is there still no strong and conclusive evidence to encourage or discourage this practice?
☆The number of studies of vegans are comparatively fewer than other studies
In order to scientifically understand the health impacts of vegan diets on human populations, data from a large number of vegans (who are still a minority worldwide) will have to be collected, assessed and monitored over a long period of time to see if they develop any different diseases compared to non-vegans.
Two of the largest current studies tracking health effects of veganism include 5550 vegans and 2600 vegans respectively; numbers that are minuscule when compared to some health studies on over 400,000 meat eaters!!!
Also, there are very few studies that have long-term data on vegans. This makes it hard to track how vegan diets might impact the good health of an abstainer. Without sufficient data on vegans to begin with, medical and scientific researchers will not be able to come to a conclusion on how vegans may be affected by certain diseases and also if they will be more or less susceptible to them in the long run.
☆Vegan diets may not all be Nutritionally Equal
Vegan diets are typically defined by the total exclusion of all animal products. But the type of vegan diet a person follows can differ substantially in terms of what foods they actually eat.
Some vegan diets can be highly nutritious with lots of fiber and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, mineral and protein-rich beans, lentils and whole pulses, and vitamin and healthy fat-rich nuts and seeds. A diet primarily comprising of some boiled pasta tossed in tomato sauce with a couple of slices of bread slathered in margarine or vegan butter may also be considered vegan - but definitely not healthy.
Therefore, the nutritional quality of different vegan diets would need thorough scrutinizing and assessment before concluding on the impact they have on our health.
☆Food Supplementation and Fortification
A vegan diet can be nutritionally deficient in vitamins like B12 and D, in minerals like calcium, zinc and iron and also on omega-3 fatty acids. Hence supplementation of the diet and fortification of certain foods is essential to maintain good health whilst following veganism.
Both supplementation and food fortification can vary by food product or brand, change over time, differ by type, dosage and also by how regularly they are taken and by how efficiently the body absorbs and assimilates them.
Supplementing a vegan diet with certain key nutrients might lower the risk of some nutrient-related health conditions like iron-deficiency anaemia and elevated plasma homocysteine. However, conclusively knowing how taking vitamin and mineral supplements and eating fortified foods affects other health outcomes is yet not understood.
☆Studies on new plant-based dietary alternatives
Many new plant-based dietary alternatives are being manufactured currently. They are now even more readily available in our local supermarkets and grocery stores.
Aquafaba, the water from boiled chickpeas, is an alternative to egg whites in meringues and mousses. Flax meal and hot water can replace the whole egg in some recipes. Varieties of vegan cheese, made from ingredients like nuts, aquafina, coconut meal and vegetable oil are being fortified with vit B12 and calcium. Mock meats, mince and mock burger patties are plant-based, protein-dense and easy to cook. Jackfruit mimics the shredded, chewy texture of pulled pork. Seitan, made from wheat protein is being used as an alternative to fried chicken.
These alternatives have become increasingly popular among vegans.
But since many of them are relatively new, there is no information on the nutritional quality of them, how often they’re consumed by vegans and in what amounts, and how these plant-based products affect long-term health.
☆Health Risk Assessment
Our knowledge about the effects of different diets on our health often comes from large epidemiological studies, wherein researchers compare the risk of different diseases in groups of people with different dietary habits – eg. vegans diets versus non-vegan diets. These findings can only tell us about the health risks for groups of people and not for individual persons.
One recent study showed that vegans (as a group) had a 2.3 times higher risk of hip fractures than meat-eaters. However, this does not mean that an individual is 2.3 times more likely to have a hip fracture if they go vegan. Different genetic and lifestyle risk factors contribute to a person’s overall health and disease risk.
A lot more in-depth studies and tons of information will be needed for us to get conclusive answers on the overall health impacts of veganism. This implies that world over, data has to be collected and collated from thousands of vegans and these vegan study subjects have to be tracked over extensive periods of time.
Stay knowledgeable, stay blessed with good health...always!!!
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