For centuries, many societies around the world rely on plant foods with very little dependency on animal proteins. Moderate consumption of plant-based diet have shown a lot of benefits, that is why people nowadays have grown increasingly fond of vegetarian diets. While vegetarians restrict the intake of meat, poultry and fish, vegans takes an additional step by completely excluding animal products from their diet, like dairy products and eggs. This article will take a closer look at some of the vegan diet before and after cases.

The Claimed Benefits of Vegan Diet

Some researchers have conducted extensive studies on vegans and identified that the consumption of plant-based diet is associated with several health benefits. The changes of vegan diet before and after include:

• Obvious weight loss
• Lesser risk of developing coronary heart diseases
• Maintenance of normal blood pressure
• Optimal control of blood cholesterol concentration
• Prevention of colon and breast cancers
• Minimal risk of developing metabolic disorders like diabetes
• Management of blood sugar levels in at-risk diabetics
• Boosted immune system
• Improved skin, hair and nails condition
• Alleviating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
• Longer life expectancy
• Reduction in body odor

Vegan Diet Before and After: Individual Cases

Eve

A 24 year old female was horrified to learn that she weighs 340 pounds. Eva narrated her story by saying, "I sometimes thought of becoming a vegan but making compromises isn't easy. After conducting extensive search and analysis, I finally decided to go vegan and now I admit that this was the best decision of my life as I was able to regain my confidence, spirit and on top of that my health.” She further added, “Converting my omnivore dishes into vegan ones was not difficult. I started even hosting cooking classes to show people the difference of vegan diet before and after. I got back myself and set an example to show what vegan diet can do.”

Kelvin

“After having major health issues including diabetes, high blood cholesterol and other metabolic issues at an early age, I got to know that diet plant-based is very helpful for weight loss. After detailed research, I decided to opt for all-vegan diet. I along with wife was astonished to taste some delicious and healthy foods based on plants only. In the first 4 months, my body was completely transformed along with significant improvement health condition. You may find it hard to believe but my health issues were almost all gone. Even my doctor was surprised to see the vegan diet before and after effects. I have continued to maintain vegan diet and have lost 103 pounds with reduction of up to 12'' in waist.”

More Pictures on Vegan Diet Before and After

There are dozens of true stories that tellhow vegan diets introduce different health benefits. The difference of vegan diet before and after can be clearly noticed in the following images of people who were tired of their weight and health issues and want to make a change.

How to Start a Vegan Diet

If you stick to only a few veggies, then you will never be able to enjoy this diet. You must try a wide variety of greens to actually get benefited from vegan diets. Do some planning and include everything in your meals by paying special attention to the nutritional value of the vegetables.

• Thyroid hormones require iodine as an integral component of its molecular structure. Normal serum levels of thyroid hormone are needed for optimal regulation of metabolism as well as growth and regeneration. Adding only 1/4th teaspoon of salt in your meal can deliver healthy doses of iodine in your food.
• Vegetables contain calcium that keeps our teeth and bones strong. Dark green vegies are an excellent source of calcium to maintain optimal health. We can have calcium from other sources as well, like juices, soy milk, yogurt and cereals.
• For cardiac health, omega 3 fatty acids are required which can be obtained from several types of seeds and beans. However, it's better to take fortified supplements because the converted omega 3 fats from plants are not enough for human bodies.
• Red Blood Cells require iron to maintain its oxygen carrying capacity. Iron can be obtained from dried beans, peas, cereals, lentils, whole grains, dark green veggies and fruits. Absorption of iron from plant foods is not easy, so vegans are advised to consume more iron than non-vegans. In order to absorb iron, you should have adequate vitamin C intake.
• Vitamin B-12 is important for the production of Red Blood Cells and prevention of anemia. Because it is mostly contained in animal products, you should consider taking supplements when on a vegan diet. Alternate sources of B-12 could be soy products or cereals enriched with vitamins.
• Proteins are required for the maintenance of skin, bones and other tissues. Idea sources of proteins include meat substitutes, soy products, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
• Zinc is needed by our body for normal division of cells and synthesis of proteins. Its absorption dynamics in the body are similar to iron and most plant-based diets are low in zinc. Some sources of plants that supplies zinc include whole grains, legumes, wheat germ and nuts.
• Vitamin D is an essential element especially when it comes to our bones. It is found abundantly in some soy products and rice milk, and also in a few margarines and cereals. It is highly recommended to check the food labels to know whether the product you are buying has it. If your intake of Vitamin D is low and you don’t go out in sunlight much, then you should consume supplements.

The change doesn't need to be made overnight, you can slowly introduce vegan diets by cutting some animal products and increasing the portions of vegetables. Also, for best results, skip processed and refined foods as well as non-organic compounds. Vegan diet before and after difference is usually visible in a matter of days to weeks.

For more information, please check out the video on how to start a vegan diet: