Are there health benefits to being vegan?

The number of vegans in the world is steadily increasing as people become more aware about how their food choices affect their health and the environment. Many restaurants are now including vegan menus and dishes to suit different clientele, and though you may think that a professional chef in his chef coat and elegant chef hat might not be interested in such concepts, this in fact is not true. Many chefs have come up with very creative and innovative vegan dishes that offer taste, flavor and excitement to those who prefer vegan food.

So, what do we mean when we say someone is a vegan? Being vegan is avoiding any food that is made with any kind animal meat or animal by-product. They are mainly plant based food, and are considered to be cruelty free.

Here are some great reasons to go vegan: 

- You will be healthier - Vegans tend to have lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, higher amounts of soluble fiber that can help with weight loss by reducing appetite or preventing overeating, lower rates of type 2 diabetes (in some cases), and promote healthy weight loss because the diet tends to be high in fiber and low in fat content.

- You feel fuller - A high fiber vegan diet will help with weight loss because people who eat high fiber diets feel fuller for a longer amount of time, and are more likely to reduce their caloric intake.

- Lower in fat - The vegan diet is lower in fat than the standard American diet. 

- Protects your heart health - Studies have shown that those following plant-based diets had lower cholesterol levels and reduced risk of developing clogged arteries or hardened blood vessels compared to other dietary patterns like vegetarianism or meat consumption alone.

Eating less saturated fats may lead to decreased rates of obesity as well (since processed foods typically contain higher amounts).

One of the negative sides of a vegan diet is that they would need to ensure that you are getting the required amount of proteins and other nutrients contained in meat, fish and other non-plant-based foods. However, there are some great vegan substitutes such as soy milk etc which are very high in nutritional value.