Whether for philosophical or health reasons, some people are opting to stop consuming animals and are adopting a vegan diet. This approach to eating eschews all animal products, including meat, fish, milk, eggs and even honey.

Making the switch can be a challenge for people who are accustomed to incorporating dairy and meat in their diet, but it could offer some health benefits. It might even change your body in certain ways.

But how it might change depends on what you were eating before, says Dena Champion, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

“The term ‘vegan’ as it pertains to diet only means that one does not eat any animal products. It doesn’t inherently equal healthy, but it can be a healthy diet,” especially if you’re coming from a less healthful way of eating, she explains.

“Eliminating any major food group, in this case animal proteins, can cause a calorie deficit,” says Kailey Proctor, an oncology dietitian with the Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, California.

Many Americans consume a diet that’s heavy in processed, high-fat meats, which also tend to be high in calories and saturated fat. Removing those animal proteins can mean a reduction in calories, Proctor explains.

Instead of high-fat and calorie-dense proteins like bacon and beef, vegans get their protein from plant-based sources such as tofu, tempeh, beans, soy milk and legumes.

“This can lead to weight loss, and have a positive impact on body composition and health markers,” such as blood pressure and triglyceride (a type of fat) levels in the blood, Proctor says.

“Diets high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can lower triglycerides and cholesterol thereby reducing the risk of heart disease,” Procter says. Plant-based protein sources such as tofu and tempeh have no cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that only comes from animal products. It can build up in the vascular system, leading to blockages that could trigger heart attacks or strokes. Eliminating animal products removes cholesterol from the diet, which could reduce your risk of heart disease. What’s more, a vegan diet tends to be lower in sodium than some other types of diets because most fruits and vegetables are low in sodium. Because sodium can increase blood pressure levels, lowering your consumption of salt and sodium may also contribute to better heart and vascular health.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【回避】huíbì eschew evade, avoid

【排除】páichú eliminate exclude, eliminate, ruled out

出于哲学或是健康原因，有些人打算不再吃肉食，而改吃纯素食。这一饮食方式戒绝所有的动物制品，包括肉类、鱼类、牛奶、鸡蛋，甚至蜂蜜。

对吃惯了奶制品和肉类的人来说，改吃纯素食是一种挑战，但是，吃纯素食对健康有一定益处，甚至能在某些方面改变你的身体。

不过，身体如何改变取决于之前的饮食习惯，俄亥俄州立大学韦克斯纳医学中心注册营养师德娜•钱皮恩表示。该大学位于哥伦布市。

“当‘纯素食’指饮食习惯时，只意味着不吃任何动物制品。素食本身并不等同于有益健康，但它可以成为一种健康的日常饮食”，尤其是在之前的饮食习惯不太健康的情况下，她解释道。

加利福尼亚州奥兰治县圣约瑟医院癌症防治中心的肿瘤学营养师凯莉•普罗克特说：“减少任何一大类食物的摄入量都会导致热量不足，这里说的是减少动物蛋白。”

很多美国人平时吃大量加工肉制品，这些肉制品脂肪含量高，热量和饱和脂肪含量也很高。普罗克特解释道，减少这些动物蛋白的摄入可能意味着热量的减少。

纯素食者摄入的蛋白质来自植物性食物，例如豆腐、豆豉、豆子、豆奶、豆类植物，而不是培根、牛肉这类食物中的高脂肪、高热量蛋白质。

普罗克特表示：“这能使体重减轻。吃纯素食对体成分和健康指标都有积极影响。”指标包括血压和血液中甘油三酯

（一种脂肪）的水平。

普罗克特说：“以水果、蔬菜和全谷类为主的日常饮食能够降低甘油三酯和胆固醇水平，从而降低患心脏病的风险。”胆固醇是一种只存在于动物制品中的脂肪物质，会在血管系统中堆积，引起血管堵塞，从而导致心脏病发作或中风。像豆腐、豆豉这样富含植物蛋白的食物中不含胆固醇。不吃动物制品可以避免在日常饮食中摄入胆固醇，从而降低患心脏病的风险。

此外，由于大多数水果和蔬菜的钠含量不高，纯素食的钠摄入量比其他饮食习惯更低。钠会使血压升高，所以少吃盐和钠也更加有益于心血管健康。

(chinadaily.com.cn)