A vegan or
plant-based
diet excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs.
When people follow it correctly, a vegan diet can be highly nutritious,
reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and aid weight loss. Increasing
numbers of people are moving toward vegan diets due to health, animal
welfare, or environmental concerns.
A 2018 Gallup poll reports that
about 3% of people in the United States are fully vegan and notes that
sales of plant-based foods are rising. Vegan diets tend to be rich in
nutrients and low in saturated fats. Research suggests that the diet can
improve heart health, protect against cancer, and lower the risk of type
2 diabetes. However, people eating only plant-based foods need to be
more aware of how to obtain certain nutrients, including iron, calcium,
and vitamin B-12, that usually come from an omnivorous diet.