Is it possible to be healthy if you eat just a vegan diet?

Question

I've heard that it is difficult but possible to have a heathly varied vegan diet without taking supplements..if you are a heathly adult.
How would you do that? And what would you eat??

What about Children, Pregnant Women, the Elderly and the Infirm?
Would a vegan diet be sufficient for them?
For health reasons is it better that they have a vegetarian diet??

Answer 1

Hai there. I just read your question and there is no doubt that you can continue to be healthy with a PROPER vegan diet because I have been doing so for the past 14 years. It is important to have a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protiens, fats, minerals, and fluids. The amount of Macronutrients(carbohydrates&protiens), and Micronutrients(minerals, vitamins etc.) a person needs depends on age, sex, health conditions, physiological conditions etc. Children, Pregnant women, elderly 7 the Infirm can be given a vegan diet. You can be a pure vegan, a lacto vegan(uses milk), or even an ova-vegan(uses milk& eggs).As to what kind of diet you should eat to have a balanced intake of both the micro and macro nutrients, you can get the help of a Dietician, Nutritionist or a person who has enough knowledge in the field to assess your bodily requirements and then prescribe a diet for you. It is difficult to do otherwise because the bodily requirements of each individual varies. So get expert opinion from a person who is good at it. I am saying so because there exists a lot of fads in this matter which destroys the scientific reasoning behind prescribing a diet. And for health reasons it is not essential for you to have a vegan diet. But that again depends on the kind of meat you have. And the way you have it.

Answer 2

Hi, well the thing about veganism is we sometimes have to get creative in the kitchen. Especially if we don't have any fake meat or soy. The reason you probably don't like tofu or fake meat is because they are processed foods. It's actually healthier as a vegan to stay away from the fake meat, especially. What I do is simple, I just google a recipe (any recipe at all, even a meat one) and substitute that meat with the type of beans I think would be most appropriate for the style of the dish. Any other non-vegan ingredient can be substituted as well. Like when something calls for milk or a dairy ingredient, you can use rice milk, vegetable broth, or even water. You don't have to get fancy.

Answer 3

Absolutely, but you have to watch carefully what you eat. Substances that are most likely to be deficient are:
- protein: can be obtained from soy products, nuts, eggs (if you-re not too strict)
- iron: from green leave vegetables, nuts
- vitamin B12 (fortified soy milk, seaweed, all types of mushrooms)
- Omega-3 fatty acids: from flax seed, (and the occasional piece of Salmon if you;e willing to cheat)
- Calcium: almonds, fortified soy milk or fruit juice, green leaf vegies

If you are not so disciplined about this, you should take dietary supplements.

There are many advantages of vegan diets too. Generally, they contain less fat and little cholesterol, which results in fewer over-weight people. Very good for people with genetic cholesterol related heart issues.

Although I am sure all groups you mention can do well on a vegan diet, but I would personally be very careful and definitely get advice of a nutritionist before committing to a vegan diet for them.

Answer 4

I agree with the previous answerers that you have to get prescribed the PROPER vegan diet. Giving here more details, would result complicated for the readers and I don't want to be very long.
However they can always refer to the Y!Answers data base.
What I have to add is that the ASSIMILATION of vitamins varies according to the age (children, elderly) and particular needs (ie. pregnancy, recovery from a disease, like from a flu).
There are also some other particularities that we have to take into consideration, like the assimilation of Fe (ferrum) of herbal provenience that is much lower than the Fe of animal provenience(or the assimilation of "noble" proteins, as it is said) ecc.
Another issue that has not not been mentioned till now in the answers that you have been taken is that you have to choose ORGANIC VEGETABLES.
So, what I would recommend as a specialist myself, is that they can enter the sites in order to find the information and get educated on the subject and then use this knowledge that they have acquired and refer to the specialist.

Katerina

Answer 5

Becoming a vegan can be really hard if you are a meat eater. I would ween myself off of meat -by only eating chicken then slowly move off of it all together. the only problem that vegans have is that they do not get enough iron (they become anemic) and not enough protein.

some say take suppliments, but taking so many supplements could do harm to your gallbladder. So make sure becoming a vegan is a good idea, make sure you eat foods that will suffice to your lacking.

being vegan isn't bad, it's just many people do it wrong.

Answer 6

It's actually fairly expensive to eat healthy on a strictly vegan diet. You need plenty of proteins and extra vitamins. You know they make vegan supplements? I think it would be worth taking them for health. Yeah you can get that extra stuff from dairy and eggs. But I'm sure there are vegans who live to be 100. Try taking a whole organic food vitamin. But gotsta drink lots of water and eat plenty.

Answer 7

YES! ABSOLUTELY!!!
i am 16 and became a vegetarian when i was 12 a year ago i went vegan and i am healthier than when i was a vegetarian!
i am the healthiest person i know....my immunity is really high i havent gotten sick since i went vegan!
VEGANS ROCK!

Answer 8

I'm pretty sure that if you do it properly, you can definately maintain a high level of health. My sister is a vegan and she is pregnant, her doctor is amazed that she is healthier than most women her age.

Answer 9

Yes, you can be healthy on a diet consisting of no animal products...EXCEPT that you must supplement yourself with some Vitamin B12, or you'll eventually get "pernicious anemia" and nerve damage.

Answer 10

Sure, it can be healthy.
I am a vegan that cheats a little with beef, chicken and pork. Maybe a Whopper every now and then.