NHD-STUDENT ZONE
DOES INCREASED VEGANISM MEAN REDUCED CHRONIC DISEASES? Emma Berry Student, University of Aberdeen
Emma has just finished studying for an MSc Human Nutrition. She has an interest in Public Health nutrition and health promotion within the community.
Recently, there has been an increased awareness of alternative diets within the UK. One of the most controversial of which is veganism. Vegan individuals remove all animal products from their lifestyle, including dietary sources such as dairy products, eggs and honey1. There are many reasons an individual can decide to become vegan and remove these products. Some claim that it is better for the environment whilst others are strongly against animal cruelty2. However, there appears to have been a substantial rise in individuals undertaking a vegan lifestyle with a belief that it will improve their personal health3. In 2016, The Vegan Society estimated that at least 542,000 individuals in the UK were following a vegan diet ; 3.5 times more than in 2006 3. In this article, we will discuss if a vegan diet does improve an individual’s health compared to the average diet, the effects on the environment and the stereotyping of vegans. BENEFITS OF A VEGAN DIET
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There has been an increasing amount of found that following a vegan diet could pro-veganism media available for the reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and general public. Films, such as the risk of cancers compared to an Netflix documentary “What The Health” omnivorous diet. Vegans were also shown discuss current food production issues to have a significantly lower BMI, lower and the links of animal-based products total cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol to chronic diseases. This film promotes and lower blood glucose levels when a vegan diet to help prevent and even compared to omnivores. These results are reverse chronic diseases 4 by using not surprising given that vegan diets tend shocking imagery and medical to consist of foods which are lower in certain fats and energy than their professionals to back-up their claims. This film has been rather omnivorous counterparts. However, the controversial, with many advising that review also discussed the health benefits its views are biased and does not observed when following a vegetarian accurately reflect scientific study diet. This review determined that the results 5. However, is there any truth in vegetarian diets seemed to have all the health benefits from the vegan diet the statement that a plant-based diet findings as well as a reduction in can improve your health? Previous research on veganism and HDL-cholesterol levels and triglyceride vegan diets is quite limited as there levels. In terms of disease risk, have been a limited number of vegetarians had a reduced risk of all-cause cardiovascular diseases, individuals following this diet until mortality, ischemic heart disease, and also various relatively recently, therefore the research required to determine forms of cancer. The differences between long-term health benefits is currently the results of the two diets may be due to lacking 6. However, even with the a higher level of research having been limited amount of research, a recent conducted on vegetarian diets compared to vegan. review by Dinu et al,6