FAQ
Health
“Most people should take a multivitamin” (careful claim)
Evidence does **not** strongly support universal multivitamin use for preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer, and recommendations vary. However,...
Health
Health & Nutrition
Evidence on vegan diet health impacts
20 articles in this topic
20 FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions(20)
FAQ
Health
“Supplements prove it’s unnatural” (logic + facts)
Needing a supplement doesn’t make a practice unethical or unhealthy; it means modern conditions make supplementation a practical tool. Many omnivores...
FAQ
Health
“Proper planning is hard”
Vegan diets require planning around a small, predictable set of nutrients—especially B12—and this planning can be simplified with habits (a...
FAQ
Health
“Even processed plant alternatives can be healthier than animal counterparts”
Many plant-based alternatives are ultra-processed and can be high in sodium, but RCTs show that substituting plant-based meat alternatives for animal...
FAQ
Health
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and “junk-food veganism”
UPF intake is associated with worse health outcomes in many studies, and this can apply to both plant- and animal-sourced UPFs. A vegan diet built...
FAQ
Health
Longevity / all-cause mortality
Large observational studies often find lower all-cause mortality risk with higher-quality plant-forward diets and higher intake of whole plant foods;...
FAQ
Health
Cancer: processed meat and colorectal cancer
The IARC classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) based on sufficient evidence in humans, with the strongest link to colorectal...
FAQ
Health
Type 2 diabetes
Plant-forward dietary patterns are associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes in many cohorts, and interventions often improve weight and insulin...
FAQ
Health
Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
Many observational studies and clinical trials show plant-forward patterns can improve CVD risk factors (LDL cholesterol, blood pressure) and are...
FAQ
Health
Athletes: performance and recovery
Athletic performance depends on total energy, protein, carbohydrate availability, and training—not animal foods specifically. Vegan athletes may need...
FAQ
Health
Children and adolescents
Vegan diets for children require thoughtful planning to ensure energy density and key nutrients (B12, iodine, iron, calcium/vitamin D, omega-3). When...
FAQ
Health
Pregnancy and lactation
A well-planned vegan diet can support pregnancy and lactation, but it requires attentive planning (B12, iodine, iron, vitamin D, omega-3, and adequate...
FAQ
Health
Omega-3: “You need fish”
ALA (from flax/chia/walnuts) can convert to EPA/DHA, but conversion is limited and variable. Many guidelines suggest considering algae-based DHA/EPA...
FAQ
Health
Calcium, vitamin D, and bone health
Calcium needs can be met via fortified plant milks, calcium-set tofu, some greens, and other sources; vitamin D may need supplementation depending on...
FAQ
Health
Iron: “Vegans are always anemic”
Non-heme iron has lower absorption but absorption rises when stores are low, and strategies like vitamin C co-consumption improve absorption. Some...
FAQ
Health
“Supplements prove it’s unnatural” (logic + facts)
Needing a supplement doesn’t make a practice unethical or unhealthy; it means modern conditions make
FAQ
Health
Vitamin B12 (critical)
Vitamin B12 is made by microorganisms, not animals or plants. In modern food systems, B12 is obtained via animal products largely because animals...
FAQ
Health
“Plant protein is inferior”
Many plant foods contain all essential amino acids; what varies is amino-acid profile and digestibility. In practice, eating enough total protein and...
FAQ
Health
“Protein adequacy”
Most people can meet protein needs with plant foods (legumes, soy foods, whole grains, nuts/seeds), and dietetic bodies recognize vegetarian/vegan...
FAQ
Health
“Vegan diets are deficient / unsafe”
Major dietetic bodies have stated that *appropriately planned* vegetarian/vegan diets can be nutritionally adequate across life stages. The key is...
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