The Herbivore Family
New Year, New You: The Health Benefits of Going Vegan
It is a new year, and for many, that means the start of a new vegan journey. Today, Chuck Carroll and Dr. Neal Barnard dive into the major health benefits that come with this lifestyle change—from automatic weight loss to protecting your brain.
Here is the breakdown of what you need to know to start your year off right.
1. Weight Loss: The Math of Calorie Density
For many, weight loss is the number one reason they go vegan. On a plant-based diet, weight loss is practically automatic. Why? It comes down to basic calorie density.
- Carbohydrates (Rice, potatoes, bread): 4 calories per gram.
- Fats (Meat, cheese, oil): 9 calories per gram.
When you swap fatty meats and cheeses for healthy grains and vegetables, you are naturally eating fewer calories without having to count them. Plus, plant foods are packed with fiber, which has effectively zero calories but fills you up so you stop eating sooner.
The Metabolism Boost:
Research shows that a low-fat vegan diet actually revs up your metabolism. In one study, the “after-meal calorie burn” (postprandial burn) increased by 16%. While that only lasts a few hours, a 16% boost after breakfast, lunch, and dinner adds up to significant weight loss over time.
2. Diabetes: Run, Don’t Walk
If you have Type 2 diabetes, Dr. Barnard says, “Run, do not walk, to a vegan diet.”
While you should never fire your doctor, a plant-based diet is powerful medicine. It improves blood sugar levels so rapidly that if you are on insulin, you actually have to be careful. Your blood sugar might drop so low (hypoglycemia) that your doctor will need to reduce your medications. It is not just about management; for many, it is about remission and preventing complications like nerve pain and kidney damage.
3. Cancer Prevention
The statistics are frightening: roughly one-third of women and men will face cancer at some point (breast, prostate, colorectal, etc.).
While we can’t eliminate the risk entirely, throwing out the cigarettes, meat, and cheese and replacing them with plants can shockingly reduce that risk. There are now more than a dozen proven links between food and cancer prevention.
4. Alzheimer’s: Genes Are Not Destiny
This is the new frontier of nutrition. We used to think Alzheimer’s was just about old age and genetics, specifically the ApoE epsilon 4 allele.
- If you get this gene from one parent, your risk triples.
- If you get it from both, your risk is 10–15 times higher.
The Smoking Analogy:
Dr. Barnard explains that genes are not destiny. There are genes for lung cancer that make it hard for the body to clear carcinogens. But if you never smoke, those carcinogens never enter your body, so the gene doesn’t matter.
The same applies to Alzheimer’s. Even if you have the gene, if you eat a healthy diet and avoid “bad fats” (saturated fats in dairy and meat), you may never pull the trigger on that gun. Studies in Scandinavia showed that people avoiding these fats had an 80% reduced risk of memory problems, even with the genetic risk factors.
Would you like me to find the full list of “Power Foods for the Brain” mentioned by Dr. Barnard to help you with the Alzheimer’s prevention strategy?
