Monday, March 07, 2005

Vegan Nutrition, Can You Get Everything Your Body Needs?

Where do you get your protein? Are you sure you're getting enough vitamins and other nutrients? These are questions I've been asked hundreds of times since becoming vegan, and the answers are quite simple. Yes! The vegan diet is not only nutritionally sound, but provides more health benefits that most other diets. Protein is plentiful and in almost every food we eat.

Here's a great introduction to vegan nutrition from the folks at Viva!. Read the entire article for all the details. Note, they are very passionate about the ethical treatment of animals and don't let that overshadow this important nutritional information. Enjoy!

VEGAN NUTRITION: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

Many people are concerned that giving up dairy products and eggs will make it much more difficult for them to obtain all the nutrients they need. The good everything the body requires can be found in a vegan diet - from Vitamin A to Zinc, from iron to Vitamin B12. The American Dietetic Association recently reviewed the available literature on vegetarianism and veganism and concluded that a vegan diet is both nutritionally-adequate and can even provide health benefits.

The basic human nutritional requirements are protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals. A vegan diet will provide them all.

Continue reading the article at Viva!