Do Vegans Live Longer? Is it for REAL!!

Do vegans live longer?

Many people wonder whether alternative diets like the vegan diet help people live a longer and healthier life. But before we go into details we need to keep in mind that there are healthy meat-eaters and unhealthy meat- eaters, in the same way, there are healthy vegans and unhealthy vegans. If we calculate on average, vegans do live longer, they have a lower mortality rate than meat-eaters and when they grow old they have lesser health issues.

The vegan diet has many health benefits, including healthier gut profiles, lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, lower chances of heart disease, and certain cancers. There are many more benefits that we can obtain from a vegan diet.

Evidence that signifies that vegans live longer

One large analysis of vegans and vegetarians in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the United States suggested that they have a 9% lower risk of death from all causes when we compare them with omnivores. In North America, another study was examined on the Seventh Day Adventists diet. It is a diet in which people commonly consume plant-based, rich in whole foods and foods that are free from alcohol and caffeine. There are some people who also consume small amounts of eggs, meat or dairy in this type of diet. The results of the study were that vegetarians and vegans may have a 12% lower risk of death when compared with meat-eaters. However, there are also studies that report that they are no more likely to live more than non-vegetarians. Thus we cannot say that there is an absolute link between veganism and lifespan.

Reasons why vegans may live longer

1. Vegans do not eat meat in any form

This is one of the main reason why vegans tend to live longer than meat-eaters. Processed meats like salamis, sausages, hams, bacon and canned meat fall under class-1 carcinogens, it is the same classification asbestos, tobacco smoking and radioactive barium. This means that these are as strong as smoking tobacco and asbestos. Meats of all kinds, even white meat like chicken, contain high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat which are linked with cardiovascular risk. Dairy and eggs are some other products that have high saturated fat. Vegans are an advantage as they do not consume any of these products. Meat and dairy may contain hormones and antibiotics which are given to livestock to increase their weight and feed efficiency. When people consume these meat and dairy products it may affect their health in various ways.

2. Vegans eat diets that are rich in nutritional compounds

Vegans exclude all animal-based foods, including dairy, meat, eggs and any other products delivered from animals. Vegans follow a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Some researches prove that diets loaded with these plant foods help people to live longer. Moreover, vegan diets mostly tend to have plenty of plant protein, fibre and antioxidants. Diets that include these nutrients can safeguard our body against obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As their diet protects them from so many diseases they have chances of living longer.

3. Vegans tend to eat healthy foods

As vegans do not eat anything that is obtained from animals they replace those calories with fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Most vegans are also health-conscious and this may be one reason why they live longer. But not all vegans are health conscious as there are vegans who eat junk food. Protective bioactive compounds like antioxidants, fibre, polyphenols, minerals and vitamins are found in fruits and vegetables which work through numerous complex mechanisms to help reduce antioxidants stress, lower blood levels of VLDL and LDL cholesterol, and also helps to maintain healthy body weight. Higher consumption of these vegan foods can help in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, lower risk of developing several cancers, lower risk of being overweight and reduced risk of heart diseases. Another benefit obtained from a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is that it reduces overall mortality risk. Some research also shows that vegans are less likely to smoke or drink alcohol, and they are also likely to maintain body mass index. They maintain body weight by regular exercise and by avoiding processed junk foods.

All vegans do not live longer

It is important that we keep in mind that all vegan diets are not rich in nutrients. There are some vegans who depend mainly on sugary and processed foods, this can negatively affect the longevity of the people. Some studies suggest that only well-planned plant diets are linked to a longer lifespan and lower risk of acquiring diseases. We can define a healthy vegan diet as one that is rich in minimally processed plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, with very little processed junk foods.

Meanwhile, vegans with a poorly planned diet may depend heavily on processed items, sweets and other foods that are practically vegan but very poor in nutrients. One study proves that a plant-based diet as a whole can possibly lower your risk of dying from heart disease by 8%. But a nutritious plant-based diet can lower this risk by 25%, while an unhealthy diet can increase it by 32%. Another research suggests that improving the quality of a plant-based diet over 12 years may reduce the possibility of dying prematurely by 12%. Similarly, reducing its quality over the same period may result in a 12% higher risk of dying prematurely. However, several studies directly compare the effects of healthy or unhealthy vegans to healthy or unhealthy omnivores. Altogether we cannot say that vegans live longer than meat-eaters as there is not enough proof.

Vegan diets may or may not affect longevity but it does have numerous health benefits which we have specified earlier. Most vegan diets vary in quality and this can be one reason why vegans do not always outline non-vegans. But if you are a vegan you should always try to maximize any longevity-promoting effect by replacing processed foods in your diet with healthy plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Do Vegans Live Longer? Is it for REAL!!