Popular Diets - The Vegan Diet

Popular Diets - The Vegan Diet: Popular Diets
The Vegan Diet
Veganism is a diet and lifestyle eliminating the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose...


Vegans believe in animal rights and are usually quite concerned about the environment. They reject animal testing, even for medical purposes. While some accept insect products such as honey and silk, most are opposed to circuses, rodeos, and zoos.

The word vegan was originally derived from vegetarian in 1944 in response to the practice of vegetarians eating dairy products. In the United States an estimated 4% of adults consider themselves as vegetarians, but only 5% of vegetarians call themselves vegans. However, in a 2006 survey of one thousand adults well over 1% said they never eat meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy products, or eggs in effect making them vegans.

Vegans and vegetarians should eat at least three servings of vegetables a day, including dark green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, and dark yellow and orange such as carrots; five servings of whole grains (bread, rice, pasta); three of fruit; and two of legumes (beans, peas, lentils). Diets avoiding meat tend to have lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. Some claim that people who avoid meat have lower death rates from ischemic heart disease; lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer. But some studies find equivalent mortality rates for vegans and meat eaters.

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