Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet - Essay Example

Introduction

Veganism is the process where individuals quit and avoid the consumption or use of any products that are obtained from animals. As such, vegans cannot use fur, wool, leather, and other animal by-products such as dairy products, eggs, and honey. Various reasons may encourage an individual to become a vegan or practice a vegan lifestyle such as culture, environment, religion as well as ethics. Additionally, recent factors such as health and ethics have contributed to the increased popularity of Veganism in the world such that people may decide to become vegans as an attempt to lose weight or as a protest against animal cruelty (Deckers, 2017). However, as Veganism becomes more popular among the people, the question of whether this process is harmful to people's health in terms of immunity has been raised. Veganism has the potential to result in poor health and immunity due to a lack of essential nutrients that are essential for a healthy body. Therefore, this paper will examine the correlation between veganism and healthy lifestyle modifications.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The Role of Veganism

Veganism and exercise can be useful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and body. Despite the beneficial outcomes of incorporating both exercises and veganism to improve health can result in detrimental consequences for the individual as veganism has a significant impact on exercise and overall health of the individual.

Veganism

A vegan diet can be very beneficial to the health of a person. According to Cramer et al. (2017), vegans have significantly lower weight as compared to those who engage in omnivorous diets. Additionally, vegans have a lower level of cholesterol as well as blood pressure as compared to meat-eaters. These health benefits are a result of the consumption of a diet that is rich in fiber that is three times more than the omnivorous diet. As such, this diet reduces blood sugar and cholesterol levels and, at the same time, protects the body against different illnesses such as colon cancer (Dyett et al., 2013). Vegan diets are also rich in magnesium, vitamins C and E, potassium as well as folic acid, which help to increase the levels of phytochemicals. These phytochemicals help to reduce the risk of developing diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, different forms of cancers such as prostate and colon cancers (Dyett et al., 2013). At the same time, the phytochemicals help to improve bone health. Therefore, vegans are less likely to suffer from conditions such as stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, and heart disease as vegans consume high levels of plant foods as compared to ordinary meat-eaters (Dyett et al., 2013).

Despite these benefits, a poorly constructed vegan diet may harm the body due to malnutrition. Elimination of animal products from the diet may result in a deficiency of nutrients such as protein n-3, vitamin B12, iron, vitamin D, zinc, iodine as well as calcium (Cramer et al., 2017). As such, the individual may experience lower energy levels, reduced weight, and issues with lower immunity.

Exercises

Exercises are essential for the development of a healthy body. Furthermore, exercises can help in facilitating weight loss or weight gain for different individuals (Mccabe et al., 2002). Additionally, exercises are practical as they promote the development of muscles intending to develop a toned body. Even though there is a specific period of training that is required to achieve a healthy body, too much exercise may result in fatigue, exertion as well as uneven body shape (Mccabe et al., 2002). Furthermore, activities require a balanced diet that is rich in calories and proteins to provide sufficient energy for a healthy body.

Correlation

The combination of exercises and veganism can help to improve a healthy lifestyle. However, some individuals may claim that a vegan diet can result in performance benefits for individuals, especially those who partake in exercises due to the availability of nutrients such as antioxidants like polyphenols, micronutrients such as vitamin C and E, and foods rich in carbohydrates that are usually found in plant-based diets (Rogerson, 2017). These nutrients can assist in exercising and improving the recovery of individuals.

Nevertheless, exercises require an individual to consume a high rate of proteins and calories that will facilitate sufficient energy for a successful and healthy lifestyle. However, incorporating the concept of veganism may be harmful to the individual as a vegan diet comprises low proteins and calories, which results in lower energy levels for the individuals. As such, an individual who exercises and partakes in vegan diets may experience quicker satiety, reduced levels of exercising hours, and at the same time, the individual may be unable to meet the daily energy requirements (Rogerson, 2017). Since vegan exercisers consume less protein that lacks specific amino acids that are only found in animal-based products, there is a risk of low muscle formation that will further weaken the body and result in malnutrition (Rogerson, 2017).

Conclusion

Even though veganism is a popular and healthy lifestyle, it may result in insufficient nutrients that are commonly found in animal-based products. However, combining exercises and a vegan diet may be harmful to the individual as activities require high energy and protein consumption that may be insufficient in a vegan diet, thus contributing to malnutrition, which is a low health lifestyle for the individual.

References

Cramer, H., Kessler, C. S., Sundberg, T., Leach, M. J., Schumann, D., Adams, J., & Lauche, R. (2017). Characteristics of Americans choosing vegetarian and vegan diets for health reasons. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(7), 561-567.e1.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2017.04.011

Deckers, J. (2017). Why “Animal (De)liberation” survives early criticism and is pivotal to public health. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 23(5), 1105-1112.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.12807

Dyett, P. A., Sabaté, J., Haddad, E., Rajaram, S., & Shavlik, D. (2013). Vegan lifestyle behaviors. An exploration of congruence with health-related beliefs and assessed health indices. Appetite, 67, 119-124.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2013.03.015

Mccabe, M. P., & Vincent, M. A. (2002). Development of body modification and excessive exercise scales for adolescents. Assessment, 9(2), 131-141.
https://doi.org/10.1177/10791102009002003

Rogerson, D. (2017). Vegan diets: Practical advice for athletes and exercisers. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0192-9.