Recently, an increasing number of people are turning vegan, in order to maintain a healthy diet. But these myths of vegan diets often trip us apart from our dietary plans. So when it comes to a healthy diet, it’s more important to learn the difference between the myth and the facts of the food. Read on to address the six common debunked myths of vegan diets.
6 Common Myths of Vegan Diets
Vegetarians and Vegans Are the Same.
No, it is not. Vegetarians and vegans aren’t the same. The main difference between vegetarian and vegan is that vegetarians avoid only meat and they consume all dairy products, whereas vegans avoid both dairy products and animal-sourced products like eggs, poultry, and meat. It is said that vegetarians aren’t healthier than vegans.
Vegan Foods Are Expensive and Tasteless.
It’s a common myth that vegan foods are costly and many people still think that vegan foods are boring and tasteless. But when compared to animal and normal vegetarian foods, vegan foods are cheaper. Being a vegan you can actually save more money by buying fresh vegetables and fruits from direct farms. When it comes to taste, vegan foods taste better when you seasoned it with natural ingredients like pepper and olive oil. Even the meat will become tasteless when you forget to season it.
Eating Soy Increases the Risk of Breast Cancer.
A study shows that soy doesn’t increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Rather it reduces the risk of breast cancer in women. It was once known that eating soy increases the risk of breast cancer which is completely a myth. Isoflavones, a plant estrogen found in soy, increases the risk of cancer if it is consumed in large quantities. But consuming one or two servings of soy foods (tofu, soymilk, edamame) per day will not increase the risk of breast cancer.
Your Bones Will Become Weak on a Plant-Based Diet.
Most people think that only dairy products are rich in calcium and vegans don’t get enough calcium as they depend on plant-based foods. But to their amazement, there are plenty of foods in veganism that are rich in calcium which includes soy, beans, lentils, peas, spinach, turnips, figs, flax, chia, sesame seeds, almonds, and nuts. Study reveals that people who consume plant-based diet foods have lowered risk of osteoporosis.
You Can’t Build Muscle on a Plant-Based Diet.
This is absolutely a myth because for building muscle and physical strength, the most important source is a protein, which is found in large quantities in plants. Plants that are rich in nutrients, calcium, iron, zinc are green leaves and legumes. Consuming a protein-rich plant diet can build your muscle more efficiently than animal-based foods. And the most essential part of muscle growth is stimulated workout and it doesn’t fully rely on proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Vegans Don’t Get Enough Vitamins, Minerals, and Proteins.
Everybody knows plants are the main source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other sources. It is true that dairy and eggs are high in protein but vegans foods also have a range of options which include tofu, lentils, chickpeas, seitan, bean, oats, wild rice, seeds, and nuts. Even fruits like berries, pineapples, and mangoes are rich in vitamin C, K, and Manganese. Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that you can’t get from the plant-based diet.
Despite these common myths of a vegan diet, plant-based foods will help you get adequate amount of macronutrients without much cost. It has been proven that plant-based foods are rich in Omega – 3 fatty acids, hence it can protect you from heart disease, and various health disorders like diabetes, cancer.
