College of DuPage Nursing Student Jessica DeAquino researched for Healthy Lombard that as today’s youth become increasingly aware of the importance of nutrition and its impact on the environment, veganism has become very popular. But whether veganism is a scam has recently arisen. The availability of natural food items is often limited for those in lower socioeconomic classes due to higher costs associated vegan foods, making veganism seemingly unnecessary. It is therefore, pertinent to ask if veganism is just another fad diet for the newer generations?

The benefits of becoming a vegan.

A well-planned, vegan diet that relies solely on plant-based products can actually provide adequate nutrition. Vegan diets provide enough nutrients to meet dietary requirements of grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes and dried fruits. As vegan diets have increased in popularity, they have been proven effective to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. A recent study by Alexander et al., (2017) demonstrated that vegans had significant lower systolic and diastolic pressures. The researchers included 26 participants who were receiving medical treatment for high blood pressure and were placed on a vegan diet for 1 year. At the end of the study period, the blood pressure was lower in 20 of subjects, and they were able to discontinue their medications for blood pressure. They (Alexander et al., 2017) also found veganism improved self-control, specifically by helping individuals to remain determined and focused. Read more