veganism: Certain widespread diets (such as the standard American diet, which is high in fat and low in fiber and green vegetables) are detrimental to health, and a vegan diet thus represents an improvement, in part because vegan diets are often high enough in fruit and vegetables to meet or exceed the recommended fruit and vegetable intakes. Conversely, studies in Japan found that increased consumption of some animal products coincided with a decrease in risk for some forms of cerebrovascular disease and stroke mortality. Some vegans feel additional health benefits are gained by eating food with minimal levels of substances such as growth hormones and antibiotics, which are often given to intensively farmed animals in countries where this is legal. Because they are similar to human hormones, growth-promoters such as anabolic steroids that are used in cattle farming in America may affect fetal and childhood development. Due to this uncertainty, the use of such growth promoters is illegal in the European community. Benefits of vegetarian diets might be valid also for strict vegan diets: according to the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada, diets that avoid meat tend to have lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and phytochemicals. People who avoid meat are reported to have lower body mass index than those following the average Canadian diet; from this follows lower death rates from ischemic heart disease; lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer. The American Dietetic Association states that well-planned vegan diets can also be appropriate for life cycles requiring high nutritional intake such as pregnancy, lactation, childhood, and adolescence. A pilot study at Georgetown University on 2005 suggested that a vegan diet can reduce blood cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes, as well as significantly reduce the complications of this disease. Athletic achievements are also used as an argument about the nutritional benefits of a vegan diet. Vegan athletes compete in a variety of sports, including powerlifting, bodybuilding, martial arts, and long distance running. Multiple Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis has stated that he became vegan in 1990 and achieved his "best year of track competition" in 1991 when he ate a vegan diet.|||this article may answer that - from a a health, social, world perspective and religious http://www.webcom.com/ara/col/books/VEG/鈥?/a>|||Veganism and Vegetarianism is very good for you but a person has to make sure that they get all the nutrients needed for the human body to function properly. Many people will ask how people live without meat and protein and calcium, but the truth is that protein from legumes and other members of the nut family have protein & calcium that is more easily absorbed into the human body than that of meat and dairy products. Other people may say: "If being vegan is so good for you, then why is it so hard for people to become vegan?" The answer is that the human is said to be naturally an omnivore, (eats meat and veggies) but most humans wouldn't be able to kill an animal their selves, they have to cook it and disguise it in a way that is totally different then it's original state. Can you imagine looking at a raw, New York steak and salivating at the thought of eating it raw? No. but I bet you can imagine salivating at the sight of raw fruit and veggies. The bottom line to this question is that if you were to be brought up, taught it was bad to eat animals then it wouldn't be that easy for you to become vegan or vegetarian. Would it? I bet that 99% of people in the US are brought up by meat eating parents, therefore, eat meat. If you would like to know more look up Matthew Lush (Gay God)'s MySpace and read his views on veganism. Another great site to go to, also run by Matthew Lush is: Veg Express (also a MySpace) devoted entirely to veganism. I hope this helped you a lot and I hope the best for you! *edit* This answer was written by my 15yr. old son Russell who became vegan about 6mo. ago. At first I thought it was a phase we were going to *humor* him through and things wold get back to normal. YEAH.....RIGHT!!!!! He is more then ever convinced that it is the life style for him. It does take courage & will to do it though. Good luck to you if you are thinking of going 'veg'! we are now eating at LEAST two non-meat meals a week as a family. Thanks to the advice on this site I found ways to modify our regular diet on the meat days where I am not making two different meals!! bottom line: WE ARE EATING MORE HEALTHY, ''BALANCED'' MEALS & AT THE SAME TIME THOSE OF US WHO HAVE A BIT OF EXTRA POUNDS ARE SLIMMING DOWN NATURALLY AND ALMOST EFFORTLESSLY!! WHAT A GREAT SIDE EFFECT, DON'T YA THINK?|||Veganism is the best diet for you! Aslong as it includes all the essential vitamins and minerals, plus a healthy Omega 3 to 6 ratio. We do not need animal protein or haem iron (haem iron is already processed through the animals blood) to survive. Or the saturated fat.|||veganism is wrong. plain and simple. meat is good for you and you need it to survive.|||It is the best type of diet or eating style if you do it right! I'm an 0- type of blood type and I don't need any kind of meats. As long as I get sufficient Iron I have no problems with sickness. I got sick more when I was a meat eater! Beets contain lots of iron! So do many green foods! Beets have both the green and red! It don't matter what blood type you have. If you plan your eating properly with you choose to be vegetarian or vegan it's your choice. I'm a vegetarian.. veganism is a little to expensive for me!|||Well, most say it's the healthiest diet there is, but that my friend, is a myth just thought of to make more people want to be vegan. They will deny it 'till the end of the world, but trust me. Don't get me wrong, there are vegans that are just the nicest people you'd ever want to meet,(like my best friend) but there are some that only want to make everyone vegan(Ashly and her many clones). Anyway, to answer your question, no, a vegan diet is not good for you. Being vegan means no meat, no milk, no cheese, no animal byproducts, no eggs, and no ice cream! So that leaves you with fruits and vegetables. So basically you are taking out your main sources of protein, which, without tons of supplements, you can't get! One of my friends is a dietitian, and is looking at the links between veganism and anemia, a long term effect of veganism.|||Hey there, veganism in my opinion is super good for the body. Veggies and Fruits are excellent for the body they don't contain antibiotics that most cows are injected with. I have been vegan for 6 months now and I have notice a huge boost in energy. So to sum up my rambling Vegansin is alright and not so evil just give it a try and find out.|||Dean Ornish, M.D. was the first person to prove that heart disease can be reversed, and he did so by feeding his patients a vegetarian diet. John McDougall, M.D. has also written extensively about how animal foods cause disease, and how people can regain their health by eating vegan instead. The esteemed T. Colin Campbell oversaw the most massive study of the relationship between diet and disease, the China Study, which the New York Times called "the grand prix of epidemiology". His conclusions are the same as the other experts: we're not designed to eat animal foods, because we get sick when we do so. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition found that being a vegan cuts your likelihood of being obese in half. http://www.europeanvegetarian.org/evu/en鈥?/a>|||its personal choice.. red meat and animal protien has some nutritional value along with all other dairy products.. people that go over board in my opinion are weird because you miss out on soo soo SOOOOOO many culinary delights that meat chicken pork and fish give you.. enough said i will stick with my meat!|||It depends . . . veganism is neither good nor bad. It's how it is practiced. I look at it from more the social/mental health perspective than a dietary or ethical choice and whether it has a place in modern society. From my experience with vegans in both modern societies and those in more ancient cultures; "modern" vegans are truly "odd". More often than not they have a obsessive- compulsivity towards diets and nutrition, anti-social behavior, auras of "doom & gloom", etc. There world-view is so limited as to make them insufferable boors to be around. Moreover, there is no integration of their obsessiveness with spiritual practices that would allow them to participate wholly and full human beings in the world. This form is a great example of the pathological practice of veganism, IMO. So veganism AS "practiced" in our modern world, is "bad", IMO.|||of course it is good for you, I am vegetarian too|||it could depend on your blood type.....i read recently that o+ blood types like myself require red meat|||Any diet can be bad if you don't get a good balance. However a good balanced plant based diet is recommended by the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, and other health based organizations. It lowers your cholesterol, sugar intake and insulin release, body fat count, and blood pressure. As long as you eat a well rounded plant based diet you won't lack anything you need including B12, protien, iron, and calcium. These are the main things that people claim vegetarians lack when in fact they get more since the material has not been filtered. Also, it does not make you fart mehtane. People really will make up anything these days.|||it is good for you. it is good for the planet. oops it makes you fart methane, so it's bad for the green house effect. it is bad for you.|||i believe its good for you|||Like Cheese Burgers and a salad just doen't cut it, i ain't no rabbit|||no! its actully better for u. but its better to b vegetarian health wise.|||It all depends on your diet. Veganism can be very good for you if you do it right. Some people go vegan though and do not know how to keep themselves healthy.|||Probably is good for people. But, I LOVE my BEEF!!! I'm cooking some NOW. Smells sooo goood! :-D|||hell no meat is great 4 u