Assignment:Vegan Diets
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Introduction
A vegan diet is one in which no animal products are consumed. While those embracing veganism are consequently on a vegan diet, a vegan diet is not synonymous with veganism, which is more generally a way of living that avoids the exploitation of animals as far as possible and practicable. Also, the phrase vegan diet refers to a dietary pattern, and not a programmatic diet such as the South Beach Diet.
Types of Vegan Diets
Vegan diets vary greatly, and those following a vegan diet usually do not adhere strictly to one of the categories of the vegan diet discussed below. Also, most of the pertinent research regarding diets does not distinguish between the categories. Still, these categories are useful for discussion.
Whole-Food Plant-Based
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Raw Diet
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Junk Food Vegan Diet
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Others
While the categories above may be thought of as general patterns, there are other vegan diets that are more prescriptive, such as the 90/10/10 Diet, the Starch Solutions Diet, and the Thrive Diet. <-- if you wish, briefly discuss further -->
Scientific Consensus
There are no governing bodies that vote on a particular scientific position that would declare the position to reach the level of scientific consensus. However, a strong argument could be made, and is made below, that there is a scientific consensus that a vegan diet is not only adequate for good health, but also nutritionally advantageous over other dietary patterns. This is because scientists specializing in the field of nutrition generally agree.
Scientific consensus is a position "generally agreed upon at a given time by most scientists specialized in a given field". It does not represent unanimity, as some scientists in the field may disagree.[1]
<--Discuss. Appeal to expertise. As summarized as possible, invoke the words of Harvard Public Health, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, but more importantly, and the Dietetic Associations of US, Canada, Great Britian, and Australia to support the contention that vegan diets go beyond adequate and are advantageous. It's good to mention specific diseases these organizations mention, but save the details on each for the next section.
<--Similar treatments on this site (not to be used as references in the completed article because this article is more specific, not the other way around) can be found here and here. -->
Health Benefits
This section discusses specific conditions that could likely be mitigated or eliminated by adopting a vegan diet, As you might expect, the benefits will be greater to whatever extent you eat plant-based whole foods instead of vegan junk foods.
Because testimonials are anecdotal, we don't include them in the sections below for each of these conditions. However, the stories of real people can be informing and inspiring. You can find an abundance of these testimonials with a Google search, or more specifically at The Center for Nutrition Studies[2], Forks Over Knives[3], and Nutriciously[4].
<--There is an article similar to this one at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-guide. This article presents numerous citations that could save a lot of time running down studies and sources. There may be other valid studies that are more convincing, valid, and definitive, in which case those other sources should be used.-->
<-- There will be a separate, more detailed article for each of the conditions below, so in this article we want to provide the best, most convincing evidence, but highly summarized. Then, as these other articles are written, we will edit this article to add links such as "additional details can be found at ...." The same can be said for the other sections after this Health Benefits section -->
Obesity
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Diabetes
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Heart Disease and Hypertension
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Cancer
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Arthritis
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Kidney Disease
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Alzheimer's
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Osteoporosis
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?Condition XXX?
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?Condition YYY?
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Other Conditions
Other condition which may be migrated by a vegan diet, but for which the studies are not as numerous or conclusive as the ones reported above, include <-- condition-aaa[n][n]?, condition-bbb[n][n][n], and condition-ccc[n]. -->
Supplementation
There seems to be general agreement that vegans should supplement with Vitamin B12, but some practitioners recommend you consider other supplements as well. This should not be used to draw conclusions about a vegan diet not being natural or optimal, for reasons discussed here.
Also, keep in mind that taking unneeded supplements can result in health risks[5], so it's a good idea to get a professional diagnosis for any suspected nutrient deficiency.
Vitamin B12
This is covered more thoroughly in our reply to "B12 is a problem for vegans", so we'll be brief here.
<-- For unity of content, read the referenced article before saying what needs to be said here. You might even want to edit that article if more up-to-date or better information is available -->
Omega 3's
<-- Briefly discuss, If there are two sides to the issue of whether or not supplementation is needed, it's ok to present the one with better evidence more thoroughly, and just briefly mention and cite the opposing viewpoint. -->
<-- This might help: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vegan.scientificfacts/permalink/950246608503153/ -->
Vitiman D
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?Other XXX?
<-- See Omega 3's editorial note. Could even be used to debunk (Choline, etc.), in which case no need to present both sides if the evidence if really weak -->
?Other YYY?
<-- See Omega 3's editorial note. Could even be used to debunk (Choline, etc.), in which case no need to present both sides if the evidence if really weak -->
Nutritional Objections
Any nutritional objection raised to a vegan diet necessarily posits the idea that it's impossible or difficult to get the nutrients we need to be healthy without eating animal products. We implicitly answer these objections in this article, and more explicitly in our reply to this notion, and, as it relates to B12, here.. The bottom line is that science knows of no nutrient that cannot be easily obtained without difficulty in sufficient quantities for good health—outside the animal kingdom.
Getting Started
See our Getting Started with Going Vegan article for 12 tips to help you get started. In addition, our Helpful Resources table lists a number of websites, including two that have excellent sections on recipes—Forks Over Knives and The Center For Nutrition Studies. Also, you can find a list of starter kits and help sites here.
Finally, to repeat our getting started article, many any have found leaving animals off the plate to be an adventure, discovering new foods, recipes, and tastes they have never before experienced. Like many changes, being vegan will soon be second nature.
See Also
How to Do a Vegan Diet Right • A YouTube video by Dr. Steven Lome.
Footnotes
- ↑ “Glossary: Scientific Consensus,” accessed October 2, 2019, http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/abc/consensus.htm.
- ↑ “Success Stories,” Center for Nutrition Studies (blog), accessed October 3, 2019, https://nutritionstudies.org/topics/success-stories/.
- ↑ “Plant-Based Diet Success Stories,” Forks Over Knives, accessed October 3, 2019, https://www.forksoverknives.com/success-stories/
- ↑ “14 Vegan Transformation Stories That Make You Want to Eat More Plants,” Nutriciously (blog), March 5, 2018, https://nutriciously.com/vegan-transformation/
- ↑ Novick, MS, RD, LD, LN, Jeff. “Q & A’s.” JEFF NOVICK. Accessed August 9, 2018. https://jeffnovick.com/RD/Q_&_As/Entries/2012/10/18_Supplements.html
Meta
This article was originally authored by ???, with contributions by Greg Fuller. The contents may have been edited since that time by others.
<--Other Editorial Notes
- What have I left out? * Does there need to be additional sections, or maybe another structure is better; this is not written in stone—ping your editor. *
- There is an article similar to this one at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-guide. This article presents numerous citations that could save a lot of time running down studies and sources. There may be other valid studies that are more convincing, valid, and definitive, in which case those other sources should be used.
- The following is not the responsibility of the author but could be done by the author. It is put here as a reminder:
- After this article is complete, a search needs to be made of the phrase "vegan diet" and these phrases need to be linked to this article with "[[Vegan Diet | vegan diet]]".
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