Are vegan diets healthier?

Vegan diets can be healthy, but due to the fact that they exclude all animal products such as meats, eggs and dairy, it is more challenging for a vegan diet to meet the daily requirement for all nutrients, without supplementation. Vegans often need to supplement with vitamin B12 and iron to avoid anaemia.

Vitamin B12 is generally only found in foods of animal origin, which means that vegans are at high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, without supplementation. Additionally, by consuming only plant proteins vegans may find it more challenging to obtain all of the essential amino acids, which are more readily available in animal foods. Animal proteins are considered to be ‘complete’ proteins because they generally contain all of the essential amino acids that our body needs.

Extra Information:

A healthy diet is one that meets all of the nutritional needs of the individual consuming that diet. A varied diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, with a wide range of unprocessed foods provides a range of nutrients and therefore increases the chances of meeting all nutritional requirements.