What is Vegan Diet

What is vegan diet? The vegan diet is one that completely eliminates the consumption of meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey from their food, out of respect for animals. In this way, a vegan only feeds on products of vegetable origin.

In short, veganism is not strictly a diet, rather it is a lifestyle that wants to avoid the suffering, mistreatment and death of animals. In this regard, it also rejects the use of any product of animal origin, such as skins, silk, feathers or any product that has been tested with animals. Nutritionist Eduard Baladia, from the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Evidence-Based Nutrition Network, helps us understand the trend of veggie so fashionable.

According to Baladia, the word "diet" comes from the Greek term "diaita", and for them, this term meant more than a "diet"; It was a way of life. "So yes, you can talk about vegan diet, since it is not only a set of foods that are regularly ingested, but also represents a way of life," says the nutritionist.

From Onmeda we were interested to know if this diet was recommendable at nutritional level and our question the expert tells us that a vegan diet properly executed, leads to a correct state of health, but if not controlled, can lead to minor and serious health problems . For Baladía, the advantage is that people who follow a vegan diet tend to be more attentive to their diet and lifestyle (which includes physical activity), which generally leads to optimum health.

Thus, a vegan diet supplemented with vitamin B12 in the form of supplements, should not affect the state of health. "In fact, it is understood that it is compatible with most or even all physiological states and is possibly suitable for all ages," confirms the specialist, although he warns that "my statements are not completely firm because, in science in generally, almost all claims are subject to change, and in veganism in particular, we have few studies on some physiological situations and for some ages. " Regarding this point, as an example, Baladia points out that in one of the most delicate physiological situations in life, such as pregnancy ,

To supplement the deficiencies of vitamins of the vegan diet vitamin Vitamin B12 supplements are needed. According to the nutritionist consulted, despite the fact that there are diet products enriched with this vitamin, and theoretically could be obtained the recommended daily amount, studies indicate that those vegans who do not consume B12 supplements are at higher risk of having vitamin D deficiency .

Another of our key questions to Baladia has been whether the vegan diet is advisable in childhood and adolescence , to which the expert has replied that " from a theoretical point of view, it could be recommended with the corresponding supplementation with B12, however , The studies are very scarce and do not allow us to affirm it conclusively ".

For the nutritionist, "it should be noted that in the first stage of life, no mammal should be vegan. In fact, vegan mothers often rely on breastfeeding for longer than omnivorous mothers, and they are more likely to comply with WHO's recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for up to 6 months (or more) and continue breastfeeding until, as Minimum, two years of life (or even more). "

In this sense, although there have been reports of B12 deficiency in breastfed children with only breast, in all of them, the mother had the same symptoms of deficiency, ie, she was not supplemented with B12 Diets poorly controlled). In the treated cases, following B12 supplementation, there was remission. This allows us to affirm with sufficient certainty that systematic supplementation with mother and child B12 can prevent its deficiency.

According to the report "The Green Revolution", by the innovation consultancy Lantern, 7.8% of the population residing in Spain over 18 years is veggie, ie maintains a totally vegetable (vegan) diet, or includes some Animal derived product (vegetarian) or sporadically adds animal protein to your (flexitarian) diet. Veggies are mainly women, 1 in 10. Veggies are also more urban than the whole population, that is, 51.2% live in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants.

Veggies diets have penetration in all kinds of ages. Vegans and vegetarians are younger, while flexitarians are around 55, something that may be due to the fact that this age group is increasingly emphasizing regimes to prevent overweight, medical prescriptions and a greater concern for health care.

To Learn More About the Vegan Diet Click HERE