The Vegan DietSydney Zimmer & Sam Webb

Presentation Outline● What is veganism?● Background● Research on nutritional benefits/drawbacks● Comparison of research - conflicting points ● Summary/conclusion

Veganism - what is it?

Non-consumption of any kind of animal product - meat, eggs, honey, leather, wool, etc.

Unlike most vegetarians, vegans avoid all dairy products and eggs.

● More intertwined throughout lifestyle, not just diet

Why do people do it?● Sentimental reasons - avoid animal mistreatment/slaughter

○ Believe animals have the right to exist freely without interference from humans○ Cruelty free lifestyle

● Attempt to eliminate health risks ○ Reduce risk of cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension and heart

disease

● Reduce environmental footprint○ Energy used for production○ Topsoil erosion, lowering productivity of crops○ Pollution from animal waste, feedlots and factory farms

● Trendy

BackgroundWhen did the “trend” start?

● 2.5% of the US population are vegans● The Vegan Society - 1944

○ Donald Watson, UK○ Coined term “vegan”○ Avoiding animal products dates back 2,000 years

● Scientific advancements and research over time created increasing interest in the vegan lifestyle

Summary of Benefits● Decreased risk of cancer & heart disease

○ Red/processed meats in excess exhibit potential carcinogenic properties (WHO)

● Decrease in plasma cholesterol and saturated fat intake● Higher intake of polyunsaturated fats → heart health

○ Fewer cases of high blood pressure - diet rich in whole grains

● Decrease risk of Type 2 diabetes● Generally higher fiber intake

○ Found in many fruits and vegetables

(Elorinne et al., 2016), (Gojda et al., 2013)

Summary of Drawbacks● Restrictive diet - no meat, poultry, or fish● Inconvenience aspect (turkey dinners, restaurant dining, social, etc.)● Lower intake of valuable vitamins ● Nutritional guidance necessary - more work

○ Food Pyramid/MyPlate not entirely built from a vegan perspective

Research● 2016 Finland study: 22 long-term vegans (>1 year) and 19 non-vegetarians studied● B12, Ca++ and Vitamin D supplements most common among vegans

○ Vitamin D still compromised in most vegans

Vegan

Protein Sources Soy milk, soy yogurt, soy groats falafel

Saturated Fat Lower intake

Cholesterol 25% lower LDL

B12 Lower dietary

Selenium Lower dietary

Vitamin D 34% lower

EPA/DHA Significantly lower

Research● 99 people with type 2 diabetes were recruited and matched with another person based on

their A1C levels. ○ Pair randomly assigned to low-fat vegan diet or ADA diet 22 weeks.○ All received B12 vitamin supplement ○ Alcohol limited to 1 serving/day for women and 2 servings/day for men○ Meet with a registered dietitian ○ Weekly nutrition group meetings ○ Portion sizes, calorie intake and carbs not restricted for participants on vegan diet○ ADA diet were instructed to cut 500-1,000 calories/day from their normal diet.

● Vegan diets showed various beneficial results

● Conclusion: Both diets helped participants lose weight and improve their blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

However, the vegan diet caused more weight loss and a greater reduction in blood sugar than the ADA diet.

Research● 32 American vegans interviewed about personal impact of veganism

lifestyle - social and physical

→ Majority raised omnivorous until later deciding to change, some after a “catalytic experience” with animal products

Struggles:■ Defending dietary decision - parental concerns, unsatisfying social interactions■ “It’s like you don’t want to fit in, which can be seen as a threat, an insult, a

challenge” -Hirschler, p. 164

■ “Some people want to be ignorant because if they do know too much, they might have to make a change in their life” -Hirschler, p. 166

Advantages:● Sensitive to human and animal suffering, positive self-concept● Participants report more energy, generally happier

Restrictive Diet/Inconvenience● No meat, poultry, fish, dairy

○ Potential nutrient deficiencies○ Hard to give up favorite foods and adjust to flavor of substitutes

● Vegan specialty and convenience foods can cost up to 3 times to what their dairy and meat equivalences cost○ Soymilk (up to $4.29/gal) vs. 1% milk (average $2.20/gal)

● Lack of social support

“Generally only problematic at beginning of transitions...veganism presented social difficulty, but personal ease” -Hirschler, 2011

Reduced Vitamins/MineralsB12: Meats, nutritional yeast

(Heme) Iron: Most abundant in meats, especially beef; non-heme iron can be absorbed through leafy green plant foods, i.e. spinach, if taken with vitamin C source

Calcium: dairy products, collards/kale

EPA/DHA (omega-3 FAs): Found in fish/fish oils- Virtually no vegan sources- Algae = converter of DHA from ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)

*ALA not an issue; abundant in plant foods- Vegan liquid EPA/DHA, derived from algae https://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/products/52/dhaepa-purity

Vitamin A & D: seafood, organ meats, eggs and dairy products. ● Plant foods contain beta-carotene, the precursor to active Vitamin A

Are these proteins the same?Vegan proteins (plant proteins) - beans, tofu, lentils, tempehNon-veg major proteins (animal proteins) - fish, beef, poultry

**Essential Amino Acids = major difference→ 9 total for human body

● Animal proteins are complete● Most plant proteins low in

methionine/tryptophan/lysine/isoleucine (incomplete)○ Beans = low in leucine & lysine, lentils = low in

methionine, cysteine○ Soybeans = complete○ EAAs still attainable if wide variety of plant foods

ingested

http://www.priotime.com/what-is-veganism/

Conflicts to consider...Summary of research - key points, conflicting research

● Some research shows plant protein is insufficient vs. animal protein, others say plant protein in variation provides nutrients

● Supplementation vs. dietary intake - despite research, some don’t believe nutrients are equal

● Missing important nutrients - rejection of diet overall

Conclusion - to go or not to go vegan?“Appropriately planned vegetarian/vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in prevention and treatment of diseases” -ADA, 2011

● Meat-eaters focus more on limiting (less cholesterol, SAF), while vegans focus more on building (more protein, iron)

● With supplementation, benefits outweigh consequences● Market now more versatile for vegans● Adequate nutrients both ways if proper care is taken

ReferencesBarnard, N., Cohen, J., Jenkins, D., Turner-McGrievy, G., Gloede, L., & Seidl, K. (n.d.). A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16873779

Brown, M. (n.d.). Animal Protein vs Plant Protein - What's the Difference? Retrieved from https://authoritynutrition.com/animal-vs-plant-protein/

Castillo, S. (n.d.). Vegan vs. Vegetarian Diets: How Each Will Impact Your Health. Retrieved from http://www.medicaldaily.com/vegan-vs-vegetarian-diets-how-each-will-impact-your-health-329300

Craig, W. J. (2009, March 11). Health effects of vegan diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved November 10, 2016, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1627S.full

Elorinne, A., Alfthan, G., Erlund, I., Kivimäki, H., Paju, A., Salminen, I., & ... Laakso, J. (2016). Food and Nutrient Intake and Nutritional Status of Finnish Vegans and Non-Vegetarians. Plos ONE, 11(2), 1-14.

Gojda, J., Patková, J., Jaček, M., Potočková, J., Trnka, J., Kraml, P., & Anděl, M. (2013). Higher insulin sensitivity in vegans is not associated with higher mitochondrial density. European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 67(12), 1310-1315.1(2): e0148235.

Hirschler, C. A. (2011). 'What Pushed Me over the Edge Was a Deer Hunter': Being Vegan in North America. Society & Animals, 19(2), 156-174.

History. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.vegansociety.com/about-us/history

Kresser, C. (2014, February 20). Why You Should Think Twice About Vegetarian and Vegan Diets. Retrieved November 10, 2016 from https://chriskresser.com/why-you-should-think-twice-about-vegetarian-and-vegan-diets/

Nordqvist, C. (n.d.). Vegan Diet: Health Benefits of Being Vegan. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149636.php

Plant-based, no-added-fat or American Heart Association diets: Impact on cardiovascular risk in obese children with hypercholesterolemia and their parents. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25684089

6 Simple Ways to be the Healthiest Vegan Ever. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.peta.org/living/food/vegetarian-101/vegans-guide-good-nutrition/