I have several friends who have embraced the vegan diet, and I'm wondering if any of you have heard of it or tried to practice it.

In a nutshell, Vegans are uber-vegetarians. Not only do they reject meat in their diets, but also all animal products, including milk, eggs, cheese.

I have heard of the health benefits of this diet, and it would seem that weight-loss would almost naturally come.

Check out this article for some reference.

I have known of those that don't eat meat only poultry and then those like you said researcher that don't eat any thing that come from an animal milk egg etc..I would have hard time finding something to eat I think..why you going to try it.

Vegan's don't eat anything with a face! It's a noble thing. I'm not sure how healthy it is, since they would most certainly be missing B12 unless they do supplements!

My cousin was vegan for most of her adult life. I went to see her in KC 3 years ago and she shocked me by roasting an organic chicken and eating it! She said she feels better eating a little meat now.

www.naturalnews.com

I think this guy that puts out this newsletter is a vegan. There are lots of good articles on this site under a search for vegan. See below:

www.naturalnews.com/GoogleSearchResults....n&sa=Search#1650

That's all I got! You'll have to copy and paste that link since it won't totally light up.

Vegan diet found to markedly improve health of diabetes patients
by NaturalNews, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) In a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers found that a vegan diet may be better for type 2 diabetics than other diets, even the ones recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

Researchers from George Washington University tested a vegan diet and the ADA-recommended diet to see which worked best in the management of diabetes, kidney function, cholesterol levels and weight loss. Around 100 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes participated, with half following a low-fat vegan diet and half following the ADA-recommended guidelines. Overweight ADA dieters were also advised to reduce their calorie intake by 500-1,000 calories. According to experts, one small risk associated with a vegan diet is a lack of vitamin B12, so the vegan participants' meals were supplemented with B12 vitamins.

Forty-three percent of the people who followed the vegan diet for 22 weeks reduced their dependence on diabetes management drugs, whereas only 26 percent of the ADA dieters had the same results. The vegan dieters also lost an average of 14 pounds compared to an average of 7 pounds in the ADA diet group.

"The (vegan) diet appears remarkably effective, and all the side effects are good ones -- especially weight loss and lower cholesterol," said Dr. Neal D. Barnard, adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. "I hope this study will rekindle interest in using diet changes first, rather than prescription drugs."

"These results are not at all surprising," added consumer health advocate Mike Adams, who supports vegan and vegetarian diets. "Food choice has been clearly shown to actually reverse type 2 diabetes, and any shift to a healthier, plant-based diet will not only improve blood sugar management, it will also enhance cardiovascular health, nervous system health and cancer prevention, among other benefits."

Adams, a former borderline diabetic, consumes no dairy products or red meat. His health statistics, posted at HealthRanger.org, demonstrate outstanding health markers such as total cholesterol of 129, with LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) of only 67.

According to the researchers, a vegan diet may be easier for diabetics to follow because there are no limits on portions, calories or carbohydrates, but diabetes patients should discuss options with their doctors before making dietary changes.

Thanks Tamara

There are many health benefits to a Vegan diet, and I can see how it would be beneficial, especially in the case of Type 2 diabetes.

It is a challenge, though, to keep up with some of the vitamins and proteins we get from a more inclusive diet. My wife is a vegetarian (not a vegan), and I remember how worried her doctor was when she was pregnant. He felt that she needed meat to build the bones of the baby!

I think that there are some important things one needs to keep in mind when considering a Vegan diet:

1) Community. It's easier to keep to a strict diet when those around you are also on the diet. Otherwise, can one go to parties? Must one bring their own food when eating at a picnic?
2) Health. It's fine to lose weight, but there are also problems people face when they aren't getting vitamins or they are below weight. My grandma, who weighed only 85 pounds at the time, went on a Vegan diet with my aunt, and we felt that her health really suffered.

Those are just a couple of the problems I have seen.