Choosing to eat a purely plant-based diet is undoubtedly one of the best things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your overall health. With over 75 million vegans around the world, it’s a lifestyle choice that many are choosing to embrace, rejecting a menu of processed, animal-derived protein and high-fat content foods and reaping the benefits of a healthier mind, body, and soul.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of eating a super-food fuelled vegan diet:

Plant-based diet = improved weight loss

Studies have shown that eating a varied plant-based diet, rich in whole foods has a marked impact on weight loss, particularly in clinically overweight and obese people. A study conducted in 2016 showed that those following a vegan diet had a lower body mass index than those who didn’t and that a vegan diet was more effective for weight loss. Replacing butter, lard, and other animal fats with unsaturated plant-based fats such as olive, peanut, and sunflower, coupled with regular exercise, ensures a lower, healthier fat intake that your body will love.

A vegan diet is naturally high in fiber

A plant-based diet is naturally rich in fiber. Fiber is essential to our bodies, aiding digestion and giving us that satisfying full feeling after eating. Increasing your fiber intake also helps to lower the risk of developing certain diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and bowel cancer.

If you’re eating a vegan diet, it’s highly likely you’ll be munching a wide range of high-fiber foods. These include wholegrain cereals, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, grains, and pulses. Some fruits and vegetables are particularly fiber-rich, these include sweet potatoes, broccoli, oranges, melons, peas, beans, sweetcorn, carrots, and apples with skin. The less processed the food, the higher the fiber content is likely to be.

A vegan diet can lower blood pressure

Research has shown that eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, pulses, seeds, and nuts has a beneficial effect on blood pressure. The Adventist Health Study found that ‘vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and significantly lower odds of hypertension (0.37 and 0.57, respectively) when compared to non-vegetarians. Persistent high blood pressure is linked to an increase in heart attacks, heart disease strokes, kidney disease, and heart failure, amongst others. Eating a vegan diet considerably lowers the risk of developing a life-threatening disease, your heart and body will thank you!

Vegan foods are rich in nutrients

Not only is a vegan diet delicious, but it’s rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants. Nutrient-rich foods contain a higher nutrient content than the number of calories they contain. Eating a rainbow of nutrient-packed foods is a sure-fire way to boost your body’s natural defenses and help you to look and feel fantastic. Some of the most nutrient-dense foods suitable for vegans include:

Kale - the superhero of the nutrient world, kale is jam-packed with goodness and contains four times as much vitamin C and twice as much selenium as spinach. It’s loaded with fiber and antioxidants, helping the body to remove unwanted toxins.

Seaweed - another antioxidant-rich food, seaweed contains an abundance of vitamins and protein. Dulse seaweed tastes a little like bacon when cooked, adding a burst of flavor to dishes.

Nuts - rich in mono-unsaturated fat, protein, and fiber, nuts are an important part of a vegan diet. Studies have linked nut consumption with a reduced incidence of coronary heart disease and gallstones, and diabetes in women.

Berries - bursting with antioxidants, berries are some of the healthiest (and most delicious) foods you can eat. They’re high in fiber and vitamin C and have a wealth of health benefits including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

Quinoa - Wonderfully nutritious, quinoa is extremely high in protein and fiber, low in gluten, and another great source of antioxidants.

Chickpeas - packed with essential minerals, fiber, and plant-based protein, chickpeas should a staple in any kitchen.

Although a vegan diet is rich in vitamins and minerals, it can be deficient in certain vitamins, such as vitamin B12 so be sure to include supplements where necessary.

>> If you want to learn about the best vegan sources for vitamins and minerals, you should check out our “Illustrated Vegan Nutrient Guide”. It’s included in our Veecoco membership. <<

A vegan diet can lower cholesterol levels

A review into 49 observational and intervention studies comparing vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diets and their effects on plasma lipids found that vegetarian diets lowered total cholesterol levels as well as LDL and HDL levels compared to omnivorous diets. The greatest benefit on lipid levels was seen in those who ate purely plant-based diets. Cholesterol-lowering foods include nuts, berries, brussels sprouts, oats, barley, and whole grains, beans, and citrus fruits.

With no saturated animal fat, less salt, and a vast range of health benefits, choosing to eat a plant-based diet is one of the best lifestyle decisions you can make. There are, of course, some unhealthy vegan foods, too, but if you try avoiding processed foods as much as possible and learn to cook your own healthy colorful dishes, there’s no doubt that a vegan diet will improve your health, your wellbeing, and help you to live longer.