Veganism has been around for decades. A small movement in the world of dieting, being vegan is slowly growing because of the health benefits it can give.
Veganism
The word “vegan” dates back to the 1940s, and has since expanded into many different and specialized niches. The concept of a vegan diet is the avoidance of any food substance, regardless of nutrition value, that comes from animals. This includes meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, honey, and anything else that comes from animals, even if the product isn’t food.
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Types of Veganism
There are many reasons why people go vegan. Their different beliefs extend into what they eat and how they live, and because of this, many branches of veganism exist. Some forms of veganism include:
- Ethical veganism: Also known as environmental veganism, vegans in this category abstain from all animal products.
- Raw veganism: Vegans of this branch eat only food that isn’t cooked above a certain temperature, as they believe that heat kills off any nutritional value.
- Dietary veganism: These vegans avoid animal food products completely, don’t abstain from using animal products that aren’t edible.
- Semi-veganism: Some vegans prefer a vegan-like diet, which means that their main consumption is like a normal vegan, but meat is sometimes consumed for extra nutrition.
Pros and Cons of Veganism
The key to having a successful and health-improving vegan diet is to have a wide range of food for consumption. Because you’re cutting out major groups of nutrition from your diet, it’s important to make up for this nutrition wherever possible.
The Pros of Being Vegan
- Cutting out of animal protein in your diet can help prevent your chances of contracting heart disease and other illnesses.
- A vegan diet will reduce your body mass, which often makes losing weight easier.
- Vegan diets have the ability to extend and fight back against the unnecessary use of certain animal products.
The Cons of Being Vegan
- Very careful planning is needed before you start a vegan diet, as it’s too easy to receive inadequate amounts of important nutrition.
- It’s hard to control how much weight you want lost with veganism alone.
- Having inadequate amounts of nutrients can be very dangerous for your health.
Can Anyone Be a Vegan?
With careful planning, almost anyone can be a vegan. Specialized menus have been made, even for pregnant women and new lactating mothers. Some health specialists may be against having children be vegans, as children need strong and constant sources of nutrition-rich food for their growing development. Extra care must be taken before putting your child on a vegan diet.