Jared Bangerter - Vegan Cookbook LITE Edition

What if I told you that there is a science to optimized veganism? Sure, simply eliminating meat and all animal products from your diet will significantly boost your health and prevent disease, but there is so much more you can do for your body than the simple basics. If you're going to go vegan, you might as well do it in a way that will optimize your health to its maximum potential. That's exactly what this chapter of the book is about taking basic veganism to the next level and tapping into the touted vegan super powers you always hear so much about. The key to doing this is incorporating what I have coined The Perfect Seven. In this chapter, you will learn what exactly The Perfect Seven is and why they are so important to a well-balanced, fully optimized vegan nutrition plan. Before we get into The Perfect Seven, it's important to understand the basics of veganism. What science is there that has shown its superiority to a standard omnivore diet?

In 1999, EPIC conducted a study that sought to discover whether there was any difference in the prevalence of heart disease between three distinct populations: vegans, standard vegetarians and meat-eaters. For the first time ever, the results of this study showed an edge of superiority in veganism over vegetarianism. Vegans were shown to be a whopping 26% less likely to develop heart disease than meat eaters, while vegetarians were only 24% less likely.

Another study was conducted in 2009. This study examined differences in mortality between vegetarians and vegans in comparison to non-vegetarians. The study examined the population of the Christian denomination 7 th Day Adventists, as they preach the benefits and principles of a vegetarian diet in their faith. The 7 th Day Adventist study found that vegetarians and vegans do live a few years longer than their meat-eating counterparts. To be specific, 7 th Day Adventist women were found to live 2.52 years longer than meat-eating women and the men were found to live 3 years longer than meat-eating men. In addition to differences in lifespan, it also revealed that meat-eaters are ~50% more likely to develop hypertension and diabetes. The study also looked at general differences in average Body Mass Index (BMI) between the two groups and found that the average vegan BMI was 23.6, while the average non-vegan BMI was a whole 5.2 points higher at 28.8! For reference, a BMI between 20 and 25 is considered to be in the healthy range. Anything higher than 25 is considered to be overweight and anything higher than 30 is counted as obese.

A study on cholesterol ratings found vegans on average are ranked at 160, while non-vegans are ranked at 180. A whopping 20-point difference in cholesterol, which is correlated to a host of various life-shortening diseases, should be more than enough reason alone for anyone to consider switching to a full vegan diet.

In 2002, EPIC Oxford conducted yet another study. This time, the study was on the prevalence of hypertension between vegan and non-vegan populations. They found

that the age-adjusted prevalence of self-reported hypertension of vegan males was only 6% and females was only 8%, while non-vegan males was 15% and females was 12%.

Cross sectional rates in AHS-2 (Type-2 Diabetes) found that vegans are more than 50% less likely to be diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes! Furthermore, naturopathic doctors have shown great success in treating their patients who have Type-2 Diabetes with the use of a properly balanced vegan diet.

With all of these scientifically proven benefits supporting a vegan diet, is it any wonder more and more people are waking up to the facts and converting to veganism every day? There is a catch though, and this is unfortunately the pitfall most new vegans fall into: deficiencies.