These Are The Biggest Myths & Truths About Veganism

A number of people have identified veganism as one of the biggest trends of 2018; the reality is that the number of persons identifying their diet as plant-based or vegan is growing larger and larger. Perhaps threatened by a shift toward plant diets for health, compassion, or environmental concerns, health personalities that question the benefits of a vegan diet are easily found, and their concerns, at times legitimate, need to be addressed. So what are some of the biggest myths—both good and bad—about veganism?

Recently the health outcomes over 25 years were compared from a large database from the Harvard School of Public Health in subjects eating a healthy (whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, teas, coffee, and vegetable oils) versus an unhealthy (juices, sweetened beverages, grains, sweets, fried potatoes) plant-based diet. It is not certain how many of the participants were following a fully vegan diet. During the study, 8,631 subjects developed coronary heart disease (CHD). Adhering to a plant-based diet lowered the risk of CHD by about 8 percent overall, but this relationship was much stronger for those following the healthy pattern. Those respondents enjoyed a powerful 25 percent reduction in their risk of coronary heart disease while those eating the unhealthy plant foods actually increased their risk by as much as 30 percent! The bottom line is that a healthy vegan diet is a whole-food plant-based diet (WFPB) and not a junk food diet.

In the 1970s athlete and author Jim Fixx made the mistake of believing exercise protected him from all ailments and ate a diet promoting heart disease. Unfortunately, he tragically died at age 52 of a heart attack despite all of his hours spent running. While a vegan diet can be a very healthy choice, it is just one part of an overall plan for optimal health. Pioneering studies2 by Dean Ornish, M.D., called the Lifestyle Heart Trial, combined a plant-based diet with exercise, stress reduction, yoga, social support and love, and cessation of smoking to reverse advanced heart disease. I advise vegans to incorporate these other healthy practices into their life as well. Sleeping seven to eight hours a night reduces the risk of heart disease substantially compared with those sleeping less than five hours. About 20 percent of the American public still smokes, and some are vegans who must quit. A strategy to manage stress, whether it is a breathing practice, yoga, religion, music, or social support is a key to health for all. Loneliness is a drag on health, which is one of the reasons I co-founded in Detroit a large and active vegan health support group.

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