Is being vegan healthy?

A person misses out on important nutrients on any diet unless they (or someone else) make sure they get them. In the UK the drive to encourage "healthy eating", the consumption of more fruit and vegetables ("5 a day") and to address the problem of obesity was aimed at people following, mainly, non-vegetarian diets. Sometimes people seem to have the idea that everyone who is NOT a vegetarian is following this "ideal", balanced, nutritious diet. If only!

However, there is nothing that makes a vegetarian or vegan diet "healthy". ANY type of diet can be healthy or unhealthy depending on what's in it. Many of the most unheathy foods are vegetarian or vegan.

I would say that a vegab diet is very unhealthy IF the person simply takes a standard non-vegetarian diet and omits meat and animal products WITHOUT making sure they replace the missing nutrients with something else. Sensible vegans make sure that they get all the nutrients they need by choosing foods carefully and by taking supplements.

It can be, if you eat healthy foods. You certainly CAN get all of the nutrients your body needs on a vegan diet.

People seem to be very misinformed about B12. It's incredibly easy to get enough of it as a vegan. For example, a bowl of Cheerios with almond/soy milk pretty much has you covered for the day. How simple is that?

"Is being vegan healthy?"

Being vegan is healthy for many. However it's also misunderstood, by many what being a vegan means. A vegan is someone who not only follows a vegetarian diet, but also excludes the use of all animal products, in their life. This mean not only not eating diary, eggs, fish/seafood, honey (although there's some disagreement on this with some vegans), and meat, but also excludes buy leather, silk and will, and any other products that are derived from animals, along with personal care items.

Following a strict vegetarian diet, can be healthy for many and it's true, it's not suitable for everyone, yet many will declare emphatically otherwise. There's only one nutrient missing from the strict vegetarian diet, as adhered to by vegans. That is vitamin B12. Another two that's hard to attain, and this is on any diet, is vitamin D3, and finally vitamin K2, which should NOT be confused with vitamin K or to those knowledgeable vitamin K1.

A strict vegetarian diet, requires at minimum the eating of either foods fortified in vitamin B12, and it's also very strongly recommended that a vitamin B12 supplement be taken as insurance. The reason for this is that there is no known, or proven plant based source, for vitamin B 12. Now there are some vegans, and strict vegetarians who will state otherwise. Only a very rare few has actually managed to go more than ten years, without it. Their bodies happen to be among those rare few that somehow manages to recycle it. However that is NOT to say that at some point, they're going to run out of it. Which most of those will. On average most people's body's can store between two and seven years worth of vitamin B12, with an average of three to five years. Of all of the B complex vitamins, vitamin B12 is unique in this aspect.

Vitamin K, or the K complex/family has more than a single type, or isomer. There are two main types. Vitamin K1, or the phylloquinone, are easily gotten from plant based foods. However vitamin K2, or the menaquinones, are not. They're found naturally in meat, and some other animal based products. No plant contains vitamin K2, naturally, as it requires a chemical change of vitamin K1 in either the body, or by fermentation, of food, with bacteria. Similar to vitamin B12. However while the roles of vitamin K1, and vitamin K2 are similar they're also reversed, as evidence has shown. Vitamin K2 is found in it's greatest amounts in fermented soy beans, known as natto. The vitamin K complex or group, are also somewhat unique, in the fat soluble vitamins, ion the the body doesn't store them very long. However vitamin K2, for which there's several sub-types, or isomers, has a half life of of up to seventy two hours, and vitamin K as a whole, can become completely depleted within about two weeks. However vitamin K is not an issue for most vegetarians.

Vitamin D, or more specifically vitamin D3, while its known as the sunshine vitamin, has to date only one known, and proven plant based source. That's a specific type of lichen, that is now being used by some vitamin makers, to produce a strict vegetarian/vegan suitable supplement. Vitamin D3, is found in some small amounts in certain meats, along with some dairy, and in eggs. It is however found in its highest quantity in fish/seafood. However a vitamin D deficiency, is actually one of the most common ones found in people.

If someone who wants to be a vegetarian, or a vegan, and wants to follow a strict vegetarian diet, they should at least supplement vitamin B12, then consider strongly a vitamin D3, and vitamin K2 supplement. However a good quality general multivitamin should cover all but vitamin K2, and specifically the vitamin K2-MK7 form. Most, if not all multivitamins contains vitamin K1.

Now not everyone can follow the strict vegetarian diet, as followed by those who are vegan. There has even been nutritional experts who knows how to eat, and where to get, or otherwise supplement, that's suffered what's known as failure to thrive. By experts, I mean those who have a degree in nutrition, such as a nutritionist, or are medical dietitians. So I'm not talking about your person who has on their own, spent hundreds or thousands of hours, or even over a course of many years, of their time, doing research, studying, and learning about nutrition. Now there are no special or unique properties to meat, or other animal products, that's known.

A strict vegetarian diet can in fact be a healthy dietary lifestyle for many, provided that it's done properly. Now I do eat meat, but not in large amounts. However for reasons unknown to me, I along with my late girlfriend, a number of years ago, for some reason, couldn't make a lacto-ovo-vegetarian work. The whole blood type diet, can be tossed out the window, as she was a type O, and I'm a type A blood type. Between the two of us, we both had a number of years, learning about nutrition, and out of necessity. Our failure to thrive though, WILL NOT PREVENT me from trying to assist those, who are interested in becoming a vegetarian, or following the vegan lifestyle. This of course gets me into trouble at times, with others who eats meat. If I have to take some knocks, here and there, from either side of the dietary aisle, then so be it.

If you do it correctly it can be healthy

It can be, if you do it right.

Just like any other diet.

I'm not missing out on any important nutrients. I get all my protein or B12 or whatever else that I need from the food i eat. It's a lot less complicated than people make it seem.

Some people don't thrive on a vegan diet. Some do. The vegan diet is very restrictive as well so it's not for everyone, but in that same regard, neither is the Atkins diet, or gluten free, or whatever other diet plans are out there. Some people do well on them, others don't. I tried Atkins once and I felt awful, my swim coach however swore by it. Different bodies respond differently.

no

It is true, it's not for everyone. Despite that though, it can be healthy. As long as it's balanced and you make sure your body gets what it needs, it can be healthy.

Rarely, but one can do it in such a way that it will not damage your health.

Yes, I think so

Being vegetarian (A vegan is a type of vegetarian.) is not just about not eating meat, but eating the 'fruits and roots' in the right balance, otherwise could get sick. So, being vegan is healthy, as long as one is doing that, with the right supplements, and taking them correctly.

no.

no

No, due to lack of B12 and omega oils. Lacto-ovo vegetarian is better, but I intend to stay an omnivore.

Naw, of course it's healthy, or, that is, can be.
But, what IS a vegan diet?
You can still eat potato chips, candy, french fries, etc. etc. and it's still vegan, but certainly not healthy. Or you an eat a varied whole foods organic vegan diet low in processed foods etc.

yes it is

I doubt it. And it doesn't matter. I am not going vegan.

What I would like to see is a vegan to give up veganism and start eating meat. Now that would be awesome. Honestly, I think people should eat meat and dairy. But I am not going to force them to eat meat.

And I would raise my kids, if I had any, to eat meat and dairy. They would automatically do it without problem. The only way they would suddenly decide to go vegan is if someone deceived them and placed false guilt on them. And if someone did that, I would defend my kids' right to eat meat and go after those responsible, like a good father should. And I would make sure that they knew that those others were trying to deceive them. If my kids started to rebel against me and insist on going vegan, then I would have to lay down the law.

it can be

Yeah

Just mark you fart and have running poops

About the only thing Vegans have to be conscious of is low Vitamin B12 and a vegetarian/Vegan supplement is available. The reality is if your doing things right eating enough of the right foods and making sure your consuming enough fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, seeds and especially greens to keep healthy. If done right any lifestyle can be beneficial but if done wrong it can cause harm veganism you have to research and read.