Although you may be going vegan for environmental or animal protection reasons, there is also the added benefit to your health. Once you make the switch from eating meat, eggs, and milk to a plant-based diet, you may start feeling and seeing changes.
After one week of eating vegan, you may need more bathroom breaks
As you will be swapping out meat for high-fiber plant protein sources, you will eat more fiber over the day, improving frequency and ease of bowel movements. So many people say their digestion improves when they start to eat vegan! To start with, you may notice an increase in gas, but do not worry. This will go away with time as you and your gut microbiota adjust to your new high-fiber diet.
After one month of eating vegan, expect your health levels to improve
At four weeks, research shows that blood cholesterol levels will lower because a vegan diet contains zero cholesterol, is low in saturated fats, and has lots of sticky fibers which bind and remove cholesterol.
Your body’s inflammation will also decrease. A common way we can assess systemic inflammation is by measuring levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the blood. Scientists have found that when individuals are placed on a vegan diet hs-CRP levels drop significantly. The reason why vegan diets reduce inflammation is less understood, however there are researchers at Cleveland Clinic who have discovered that Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), derived from compounds found in meat, fish, and eggs, is pro-inflammatory, and high levels of TMAO increase your risk of having a major cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke.
What happens to your body eating vegan longer term?
By adopting a plant-based vegan diet, you lower your risk of developing many of the leading chronic diseases. Studies have shown that plant-based eaters have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and some cancers.
As a disclaimer, not all vegan diets are created equal. What you replace the meat, eggs, and dairy with will make all the difference to the sort of health benefits you will see. Sodas and French fries are vegan, but that does not make them healthy. For some of the healthiest foods to include in your diet, check out my previous blog on the best vegan foods to eat every day.
