The vegan diet embraces a range of plant foods while strictly avoiding animal products and byproducts, including meat, dairy, eggs, fish, poultry and honey, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group. Although veganism eliminates a large category of foods, well-planned versions of the diet can provide all the nutrition you need to stay healthy, regardless of your race or other background characteristics. Eating a variety of nutritious plant foods with proper supplementation is key for making a vegan diet successful.
Safety
Although restrictive diets like veganism can potentially lead to nutrient deficiencies, well-planned vegan diets are safe for the general population. In a 2009 position paper, the American Dietetic Association declared vegan diets to be adequate during infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and lactation, and made no distinctions about veganism being unsafe for specific ethnic groups. However, the American Dietetic Association also noted that in order to remain healthy on such a diet, you need to have adequate intakes of protein, omega-3 fats, iron, calcium, iodine, zinc, vitamin D and vitamin B-12, which tend to be low on diets that exclude animal foods.
Benefits
Well-planned veganism can offer a number of health benefits, especially in contrast to more standard Western diets. According to an article by Winston J. Craig in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in May 2009, vegan diets tend to be high in phytochemicals, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin E, while also being low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total calories. As a result, vegan diets can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, reduce your blood pressure and potentially slash your risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease. These benefits apply across all age and ethnic groups.
Drawbacks
Because vegan diets exclude all foods of animal origin, it can be more difficult to obtain certain nutrients usually contained in meat and dairy. In his 2009 article, Craig notes that vegan diets have a heightened risk of deficiency for vitamin D, vitamin B-12, calcium and omega-3 fats, and cautions that vegans should either eat foods fortified with these nutrients or take them in the form of a supplement. In addition, zinc and iron tend to be less absorbable on a vegan diet due to mineral-binding phytates found in grains and legumes. Craig also states that while veganism's low levels of saturated fat and cholesterol appear heart-protective, the diet may harm your heart in a different way: Veganism can raise your homocysteine levels if you become B-12 deficient, and high homocysteine is an independent risk for both heart disease and bone fractures.
Considerations
Although a properly planned vegan diet can supply everything your body needs, a plant-based diet with small amounts of animal products -- such as fish with omega-3 fats or calcium-rich dairy -- can help you fill in nutritional gaps, making deficiencies less likely. Consult your physician if you're planning on adopting a vegan diet, and consider enlisting the help of a nutritionist to help you design a nutritionally adequate meal plan.
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