Veganism is a topic that brings up a great deal of controversy. While most have a firm belief that going fully vegan is dangerous to your health, others believe that veganism provides many nutritious benefits.

While this is completely true, if you choose to convert to a vegan lifestyle there are some disadvantages that go along with it. Health critics claim that vegan diets can be very beneficial to one’s overall being as long these diets are “well planned.”

Vegan diets can be very favorable to one’s well being. First things first, eating a plant-based diet may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, both of which are contributors to Type 2 diabetes. Eating a vegan diet also increases antioxidant intake due to the fact that fruits, vegetables, beans legumes, and whole grains are plentiful in dietary fibers, vitamins and minerals.

Socially, becoming a vegan can be a very positive experience. You can easily show your support for healthy living and demonstrate your stance against animal consumption. A plant-based diet promotes greater self-control, as you are limiting yourself to eating essentially only fruits, vegetables, and grains. If you put enough time into your diet, living a vegan lifestyle can be very rewarding.

Maintaining a vegan diet is easier said than done. A vegan diet can be very extreme and sometimes harmful to your health.

In fact, this particular diet does not include some nutrients that are essential for people’s health, like vitamin B12/iron. Vegans must take nutrient supplements to have a balanced diet.

Vegans cannot eat chicken, fish, beef, eggs, or any dairy products, so when going out to dinner, most restaurant’s menus are not vegan friendly. Restaurants do not typically serve tofu or any soy-based dairy products.

Searching for foods that are edible to vegans is very difficult, as they have to pay close attention to what they are eating. Vegans do not have a large selection of food to choose from, and while there are some strictly vegan restaurants, going out to dinner with friends or family will be a challenge, as with any other strict diet.

Becoming a vegan takes a lot of commitment. With a limited amount of food that vegans can actually eat, it takes a lot of consideration. Putting extra time into carefully picking food can be difficult, but can result in a super healthy lifestyle.

There is a plus side, as well as a negative side, of a vegan diet, but no side overrides the other. Converting to a vegan diet can be a difficult transition, but it could be quite beneficial to many people if executed with focus and dedication.