Triangle Family Care

Cary, NC Family Medical Practice Specializing in Preventative Healthcare

  • Home
  • News
  • About Us
    • Our Philosophy
    • Healthcare Providers
    • Staff
    • Leave Feedback
    • Office Policies
    • News
  • Resources
    • Patient Forms
    • Policies & Notices
    • Insurance
    • Immigration Medical Examination
    • Health & Wellness Information
    • Azura Skin Care Center
  • Hours & Directions
  • Contact Us

February 23, 2017 By Dr. Craig Stevens

Doctor’s Inbox: Is There Value in a Vegan Diet?

Ah yes, food and diets – always popular topics in the doctor’s office!

Q: “Is there value in a vegan diet? What are the drawbacks? What are the benefits of a vegan diet?”

Triangle Family Care: Vegan diet tips
Is there value in a vegan diet? Yes! But there are some drawbacks.

A: Yes, there is value in a vegan diet. A vegan diet is one where all nutrients are obtained from vegetables and none from any animal source (no eggs, no milk, no cheese and no meat).

The challenges and drawbacks are:

  1. You will need a vitamin B12 supplement. Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products, so no animal products means no Vitamin B12 and the human body needs Vitamin B12! Vitamin B12 can be synthesized in a lab though, and therefore taking a B12 supplement is still vegan!
  2. You will have to ensure you eat enough iron. There are vegetable sources of iron, but sometimes a supplement is needed.
  3. You may also need extra calcium, vitamin D, and zinc.
  4. You will need to be sure you obtain enough protein in your diet. Think beans, legumes, soy, and nuts.
  5. It can be challenging to eat out eating a vegan diet. Though, there are more restaurants now than a few years ago that offer vegan fare.
  6. Your friends may not understand. If they are truly your friends, they’ll accept you no matter what!
  7. You may or may not lose weight! Most vegans do lose weight, but you can eat plenty of calories in a vegan diet and therefore still gain weight (think donuts, cakes, cookies, bread, and rice – but no butter, no eggs, and no dairy in those items).

The benefits of a vegan diet are:

  1. You will be eating no cholesterol in a vegan diet. Cholesterol is only found in animal products. So, a vegan diet can help lower your cholesterol.
  2. You can probably eat for less money. Pound for pound, meat is the most expensive food. I’m not talking about a pound of saffron or truffles! However, fresh fruits can be pricey.
  3. You’ll probably have perfect BMs as you’ll be eating more fiber than you otherwise would. High fiber diets are very helpful at preventing colon cancer.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Dr. Craig Stevens, Healthy Living Tagged With: diets, food, vegan

Recent Blog Posts

  • Great News for UnitedHealthcare Patients! March 5, 2018
  • Upcoming Changes at Triangle Family Care October 27, 2017
  • Dr. Stevens’ Guide to Cholesterol – Part 2 July 7, 2017

The Latest from Triangle Family Care

Great News for UnitedHealthcare Patients!

Great News for UnitedHealthcare Patients!

We’re pleased to share this positive update for our valued patients who are UnitedHealthcare insurance subscribers.

Copyright © 2018 · Triangle Family Care · All Rights Reserved · Disclaimer