Thanks, ADA! I’ve Known It All Along!
I already knew that a vegan diet is healthful and nutritionally adequate and can help prevent and treat certain diseases, but it’s a big coup when the American Dietetic Association (ADA) says so too!
Now, the ADA has long said that vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for every stage of the life-cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence—and for athletes—but just recently, the ADA updated its position paper in support of vegetarianism. Among other things, the paper explains that healthy, plant-based diets can prevent—and even reverse—many life-threatening diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
The ADA also points out that well-planned (not just pop tarts, and French fries, obviously) vegetarian diets can meet the recommendations for protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B12, as well as other essential nutrients. (If you want some basic healthy-eating tips, check out my blog, A Vegan’s Guide to Good Nutrition.)
Best yet, the ADA predicts that the number of vegetarians in the U.S. will increase over the next decade. Yay! If you’re one of the people who haven’t gone vegetarian yet, what are you waiting for? Seriously—you don’t have any excuses! Our “Vegetarian Starter Kit” will help get you started in the right direction.
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