Is vegan diet healthy?

The most important points in brief

• There are still voices claiming that an exclusively vegan diet deprives the body of important nutrients.
• It is often said that only animal fats meet certain needs.
• This assumption is now completely outdated by nutritional science.
• On the contrary: Those who follow a purely vegan diet even lower the risk of developing cancer. We show what else belongs to a healthy vegan diet.

You surely know someone who knows someone who has already said that it cannot be healthy to completely do without animal products in your diet. And if you have ever thought that yourself: No need to be ashamed of it, purely instinctively you wouldn't be surprised if there was some truth in the thought. But far from it - studies by nutritional societies around the world show that vegan is healthy.

Only fruit and vegetables are not enough for a vegan diet

As always when it comes to the subject of nutrition, the objection must be made right at the beginning of the discussion that it is about balance and diversity. Vegans who only eat fruit and vegetables will eventually suffer from a nutritional deficiency. The supply of vitamins of all stripes is correct, but completely different components are missing in the spectrum of nutrients.

Only: You don't have to make up for this lack of meat, milk or fish, as has long been wrongly suspected. On the contrary, red meat (pork, veal and beef), but also sausage and bacon, generally processed meat and even milk are increasingly suspected of causing cancer (with milk, especially prostate cancer in men, breast cancer and ovarian cancer in women). But how can you, as a vegan person, supplement the missing nutrients?

Which nutrients have to be compensated for in a vegan diet

First, the good news. Because vegan diet means that you are moving much closer to the recommended intake levels that apply to certain nutrients. On average, you consume almost exactly the amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein, but also magnesium, biotin, vitamins C and E, provitamin A (beta-carotene) and fiber that are considered healthy.

However, this medal has two sides - as a vegan, you eat too little vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids and calcium on average. You should use dietary supplements for vitamin B12. But meat alternatives, plant-based alternatives to milk as well as fruit juices, mueslis or corn flakes enriched with vitamin B12 also contain this nutrient. Calcium is mainly found in broccoli, almonds, Chinese and kale, leaf kale, tofu and dried figs, while the best way to get omega-3 fatty acids is from rapeseed and olive oil.

These nutrients are also lacking in a vegan diet

In addition, there are nutrients in which almost everyone, regardless of their diet, is deficient. These include iron, vitamin D and iodine. While vitamin D can only be obtained through sufficient sun on the skin and additionally through dietary supplements, iron can be supplied through foods such as whole grains (including pasta and bread), quinoa, almonds, lentils, kidney beans, sesame seeds and others. Iodine, on the other hand, is absorbed through iodized salt. If you like it plant-based, you should ensure that seaweed is regularly on the menu.

If you follow this advice, you will not lack for anything without animal products and your vegan lifestyle will be healthy and sufficiently covered with nutrients.