Evidence Shows Vegan Diets Outperform Others for Health

A research article reviewed studies on vegan diets to understand their health effects (Le & Sabaté, 2014). Vegan diets completely avoid animal foods like meat, dairy, eggs, and seafood. The studies were of Seventh-day Adventists, many of whom eat veggie or vegan diets for health and religious reasons. Here's what the research found about the positives of vegan diets:

Weight and Heart Health

Vegans tended to have much lower body weight than non-vegans. Their average BMI was about 5 points less. Having a healthy body weight reduces risks for diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Vegans also had less high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Their risk of metabolic syndrome was cut in half compared to people who ate meat. Metabolic syndrome includes high blood sugar, fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels, raising risks for heart disease and stroke.

Male vegans had 55% lower rates of death from heart disease. Their combined risk of cardiovascular mortality was very low. Vegan males experienced a 42% risk reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality and vegetarian males had experienced a 23% risk reduction. The heart health benefits come from vegan diets being higher in protective nutrients like fiber, vitamins C and E, magnesium, and potassium.

Cancer Prevention

Vegans and vegetarians had about half the risk of colon cancer. Their risk of gastrointestinal cancers overall was 23% lower. Men who avoided meat had a 35% lower rate of prostate cancer.

Looking at both genders combined, vegans had a 14% lower overall cancer rate than meat-eaters. The lower risks are partly due to vegans having less obesity, which raises risks for 13 types of cancer. Veggie diets also have more cancer-fighting nutrients like fiber, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other antioxidants.

Longer Life Expectancy

In the Adventist studies, vegans and vegetarians lived 1.5 to 2.4 years longer than comparable non-vegetarians. Their lifelong lower risks for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity add up to increase longevity.

Conclusion

While completely avoiding animal foods takes effort, Le and Sabaté’s analysis shows that vegan diets reduce risks of major diseases and death. The payoff can be a longer, healthier life. More research is still needed, but the evidence we have points to considerable benefits of plant-based vegan eating.

Le LT, Sabaté J. Beyond meatless, the health effects of vegan diets: findings from the Adventist cohorts. Nutrients. 2014 May 27;6(6):2131-47. PMID: 24871675 PMCID: PMC4073139 DOI: 10.3390/nu6062131