Should i go vegan to lose weight

Red meat is high in a mineral called zinc , which regulates your ability to taste, as well as your immune system's other important functions, according to the National Institutes of Health.

If you're eating less zinc, you may start to notice things smell or taste differently. Read more: New dietary guidelines suggest people should keep eating red meat and processed meat, but nutrition experts says the report is irresponsible. However, it's possible to get enough zinc on a vegan diet, either from taking a supplement or by getting it from vegetable sources like mushrooms, chickpeas, kidney beans, tofu, kale, and whole grains.

Read more: KFC now has meatless 'chicken' made from wheat protein, but a nutritionist said it's not much healthier than the original. This is likely due to the fact that vegans tend to have lower levels of cholesterol and saturated fat, which are found in abundance in red meat, cheese, and other animal products. Plant-based diets have also been found to help regulate blood sugar , which can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Although cholesterol can increase the risk of heart problems, there's also some evidence that it can protect against a stroke. It's not yet clear exactly why this may be the case, but other nutrients in animal protein, including B vitamins and amino acids the building blocks of proteins are believed to play a role. A vegan diet also cuts out processed meats, which have increasingly been linked to a range of deadly cancers, include colon, kidney, and stomach cancers.

Anyone who's ever sat down to a huge steak or hefty turkey dinner knows the drowsiness that comes afterward. That's because animal-based foods can take a lot of energy to digest due to their high protein and fat content. As a result, if you switch to a plant-based diet, you may feel more energized.

That's especially the case if you're eating plenty of nuts, legumes, quinoa, and whole grains, which can provide a sustained boost of a energy due to a mix of macronutrients like healthy fats, complex carbs, and proteins. Theese foods also have a low glycemic index , which keeps your blood sugar stable over time, helping you avoid an energy crash. Going vegan can improve your complexion for two reasons: Eliminating dairy has been linked to acne and increasing your fruit and vegetable intake adds micronutrients to your diet that are linked to healthy skin.

Read more : I followed a vegan diet for a week and it had a major impact on my energy and skin. An autoimmune disorder occurs when your immune system attacks your body's own tissues instead of invaders like bacteria, viruses, and allergens.

Key elements of plant-based diets associated with reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. Current diabetes reports, 14 9 , p. Comparative effectiveness of plant-based diets for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial of five different diets.

Nutrition, 31 2 , pp. Clarys, P. Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet. Nutrients, 6 3 , pp. Aoun, A. The influence of the gut microbiome on obesity in adults and the role of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics for weight loss.

Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, 25 2 , p. Dulloo, A. Pathways from dieting to weight regain, to obesity and to the metabolic syndrome: an overview. Obesity Reviews, 16, pp. Kim, H. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8 16 , p. Isabel has expertise in gut health and the role of the gut microbiome in digestive health, immunity and brain health.

Isabel is passionate about improving the wellbeing of customers through evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle advice and keeps up with the latest nutritional science to continually enhance her practice.

Isabel believes a well-balanced holistic approach of evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle practices are key to improving wellbeing and happiness. Your Cookie Settings This site uses cookies and similar technologies for performance, social media and advertising purposes in order to provide a customised user experience and understand how our sites are used. Keep reading, this article by one of our nutritionists, Isabel, has all the answers… So, does going vegan make you lose weight?

Why do vegans lose so much weight? Reduced calorie intake Compared to meat, saturated fats, eggs and dairy and plant-based foods have a much lower calorie content and a much higher nutrient content. Gut health Emerging research has revealed the importance of our microbiome and weight management.

Summary There are three main reasons why a vegan diet can result in people losing weight. What does this mean? This type of dieting is associated with some serious health consequences, like an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Regardless of these and other possible pitfalls, you can eat a vegan diet healthily and lose weight.

The key — as with all diets — is focusing on nutrient-dense foods versus empty calories. For vegans, these foods would include things like:.

Women generally need to eat 2, calories each day to maintain weight. To lose weight, this number drops to around 1, calories a day. Men generally need to eat 2, calories each day to maintain their weight and around 2, calories a day to lose weight.

Even if you stay below your calorie goal, filling up on all Nutter Butter cookies, which happen to be vegan, is very different from filling up on buckets of fresh produce. Regardless of the type of diet you choose, you should follow these guidelines for healthy eating. Timing your meals is essential to boosting your metabolism and promoting healthy eating habits. In general, try eating meals at the same time each day to get your mind and stomach into a predictable pattern.

Munch on a larger breakfast in comparison to the other meals in your day. This may mean shifting your lunch a bit earlier and eating a smaller dinner. This will help feed and repair your muscles. Within two hours of bedtime. Consuming calories too close to bedtime is associated with weight gain and sleep disturbances. Portion sizes matter with any of the foods you eat — vegan or not. Current recommendations for protein intake are around 5.

The group of people involved in the study avoided alcohol and smoking, and they also exercised daily. A substantial amount of research is now linking sleep quality and weight loss. Striving for the recommended hours each night no more , no less can also help decrease stress, which plays a major role in our overall health and weight. This can be a much more sustainable approach for people to follow, too. Start small and go from there.

Losing weight is all about finding a sustainable lifestyle that you can maintain long-term. If you believe in adopting a plant-based diet for more than weight loss, it could certainly be for you. By Lauren Wicks June 11, Pin FB More. Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep. Sign up for our new weekly newsletter, ThePrep, for inspiration and support for all your meal plan struggles.