The Effect of Vegan Diet on the Body and Brain

What Happens to your Body and Brain When you go Vegan

Veganism isn't a recent trend but rather a practice that has been in existence as far as 1944. What started with a group of 25 people led by Donald Watson that was later referred to as the Vegan Society has now become an important movement today. ^[1]

Will vegan diet help lose weight? Several people have joined this movement for several reasons, whether it is to lose weight or to generally improve their vegan brain health.

Following a vegan bodybuilding diet plan eating a plant based diet for brain health that will help you get all the necessary nutrients required for your growth. It is not just about choosing to be vegan but also about being deliberate with what you eat to ensure you are not lacking any vital nutrients.

However, there are far more advantages to the vegan diet's effect on body and brain health.

How it Affects the Body?

The kind of diet you eat plays a huge role in your health in general through different means. A recent study conducted in 2019 shows how plant-based diets have been proven to be associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and death. ^[2]

It is also a great way to lose weight and many people today have chosen to be vegan for this sole reason. The diet contains more nutritious and healthy meals with little to no source of unhealthy fats. You also get to eat low-calorie meals, which will help you to manage your weight effectively, especially when the diet is combined with physical activity.

Vegan diets have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer by 15% and the American Cancer Society has also approved it as one of the things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. ^[3]

This is due to how rich the diet is in fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals, all of which play a role in protecting the body against cancer.

If you’re looking to improve your health, a vegan weight loss diet might just be your best bet for unlocking a healthier you.

Effect on the Brain

While there is a common misconception that not eating meat can affect your IQ, the vegan diet might just be one of the best ways to boost your brain cells. The best diets for brain health are rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, phytochemicals, and unsaturated fatty acids, all of which help improve the growth, connection, and survival of brain cells.

However, not all vegan diets are created equal and while some of the meals might contain nutrients that help your brain cells, some of the other meals might not be helping your brain. This is why it is often emphasized for vegans to take their diets seriously and include the right mix of meals to ensure they are getting everything the body and brain require for healthy growth.

Final Verdict

Preferably, meet a dietitian to draw a diet plan that you can follow. This can be tailored specifically for you, especially if you have certain health concerns. Don't just choose a random vegan diet with the hopes to get all the advantages other people talk about but rather, be deliberate and choose wisely.

3 Sources

We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.

[1] Donald Watson The first vegan, who invented the word - and outlived his many critics: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/jan/14/guardianobituaries.food
[2] Plant?Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All?Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle?Aged Adults: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.012865
[3] American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/eat-healthy-get-active/acs-guidelines-nutrition-physical-activity-cancer-prevention/guidelines.html

Jason Vredenburg, RD

Jason Vredenburg is a nutrition writer with over twenty years of experience as a Registered Dietitian. He has researched and written nu Read Full Bio