The daily value of veganism

Yes, there are unhealthy vegans, but that doesn’t mean that all vegans are unhealthy. Likewise, eating meat doesn’t make one automatically healthy. Are McDonald’s hamburgers nutritious?

The majority of Americans have unhealthy diets. American diets are high in processed foods, simple carbohydrates and saturated fat — this means junk food, fast food, white bread and pasta, candy bars, soda and non-lean meat. While many of these items can be found in vegan diets, none is essential to a vegan diet.

According to the American Dietetic Association, “Appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”

There are many myths, though.

Myth: Without meat, eggs or dairy products, it is impossible to get enough protein.

Reality: Vegan sources of protein include soy, beans, lentils and nuts. Grains, vegetables and fruits also have small amounts. Most Americans eat more protein than they need; vegans need not strive to eat as much protein as meat-eaters.

Myth: Soy is a carcinogen and should be avoided. Without soy, getting enough protein in a vegan diet is a hopeless task.

Reality: Some studies have shown links between soy and cancer in mice, but no studies have verified this link in humans. These studies only showed links between very high-soy diets and cancer. There is nothing to suggest that eating a moderate amount of soy — one to two servings per day — places you at higher risk. For those who prefer to be safe instead of sorry, there are plenty of non-soy sources of protein that are vegan. For those concerned about cancer, the possible perils are not unique to vegans. For example, drinking milk is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Myth: It is impossible to obtain all necessary vitamins and minerals from a purely plant-based diet. In particular, vitamin B12 deficiency is a concern.

Reality: Most vitamins and minerals naturally occur in plants. By eating a varied selection of vegetables and fruits, one can obtain almost all necessary vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B12 can be found in nutritional yeast and many vegan foods such as soy milk and tempeh are fortified with it. For those who do not obtain all necessary vitamins and minerals in their diet, vegan vitamin and mineral supplements are a great alternative.

Myth: Omega-3 fatty acids can only be found in fish.

Reality: Omega-3 fatty acids are found in many plant oils, most notably flaxseed oil and olive oil. Many vegans and vegetarians choose to eat a tablespoon of flaxseed oil a day or to take flaxseed oil supplements, but it is also possible to obtain enough omega-3 fatty acids from well-balanced meals.

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Myth: Vegans rely too heavily on carbohydrates to make up for a lack of calories from meat. This leads to obesity.

Reality: High-carb diets and obesity are American problems and are not endemic to vegans, per se. In fact, vegans are nine times less likely to be obese than meat-eating Americans. While it is certainly possible to replace meat and dairy with pasta and other grains, animal products can also be replaced by legumes, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables — all types of food that most Americans eat too little of. It is also important to remember that limited amounts of whole-grain bread and pasta are healthy, while simple carbohydrates should be avoided by vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Myth: Vegans do not get enough fat and are often underweight.

Reality: It is true that many vegans in the United States weigh less than their omnivorous counterparts, but this is not because they are underweight or unhealthy. As I wrote above, the problem of American obesity is faced disproportionately by meat-eaters. A healthy diet does include some fat, but there are plenty of vegan sources of fat: olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and avocados, to name a few. Significantly, these are all sources of monounsaturated fat. In comparison, all saturated fat, which is far less healthy, comes from meat, dairy and eggs.

Because vegans do not eat saturated fat or cholesterol, they have lower risks of heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to the American Dietetic Association. Vegans are also less likely to have strokes, develop Alzheimer’s disease or get certain types of cancer, such as prostate and colon cancer.

It takes some planning, but it is perfectly possible for vegans to obtain all necessary nutrients. At Princeton, where most of us don’t buy our own groceries, this can be tricky, but it is still doable. The dining halls always offer soymilk, rice milk, tofu in the salad bar and peanut butter, at the very least, and always have one high-protein vegan entree at dinner, which is usually legume-based. Vitamin B12 supplements and flaxseed oil are conveniently available at the U-Store or CVS Pharmacy. Myths that veganism is unhealthy abound, but they are no reason not to be vegan if you otherwise would want to be.

Miriam Geronimus is a sophomore from Ann Arbor, Mich. She can be reached at mgeronim@princeton.edu.