The vegan diet is characterized by the fact that animal products are completely avoided. This means that meat and fish, dairy products, eggs, etc. are taboo on the vegan menu. More and more people are opting for a vegan diet - out of respect for animals and the environment and doing something good for their body. Many vegans swear by the positive effects that a purely plant-based diet has on body and mind. You feel more balanced, fitter and generally healthier. One of the reasons for this could be that they consume many fruits and vegetables and thus also a large number of vitamins and nutrients. Therefore, it is not true that they generally suffer from protein and iron deficiencies. There is a lack of meat and dairy products as a source of nutrients, but numerous plant sources replenish the body's protein and iron stores. These are, for example, chickpeas, nuts, lentils, oatmeal or spinach. There is also a lot of protein in tofu, making it an excellent alternative to meat. What should I put attention on? Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to be well informed when starting a vegan life, as other nutrients such as vitamin B12 can be neglected. Vitamin B12 occurs primarily in animal products. Vegetables fermented with lactic acid such as sauerkraut also contain this vitamin, but only in small quantities. But don't worry: the need can be easily balanced with dietary supplements. Without any symptoms of deficiency and completely cruelty-free. The other B vitamins can mainly be obtained from vegan recipes with nuts. Nut butter are therefore particularly popular in a vegan diet. Certain ingredients can also be found for other possibly critical nutrients such as iodine, selenium, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are increasingly used in vegan recipes to provide an appropriate balance. Why vegan of all places? Reasons for the vegan diet People choose a vegan lifestyle for a variety of reasons. Here are the most common viewpoints questioning a diet that is based on animal ingredients. livestock farming Often people choose a plant-based diet for ethical reasons. In addition to killing animals, farming plays an important role. For milk, cows usually have to stand in narrow stalls, chickens live tightly packed in a very small space. In addition, male chicks are sorted out and shredded immediately after birth. Dairy cows are slaughtered as soon as their milk yield decreases. Bless you In addition to ethical reasons, health aspects also play a role on the way to a vegan diet. Many diseases such as high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure are attributed to excessive meat consumption. Saturated fatty acids, mainly found in meat products, cause the cholesterol content to rise and, unlike unsaturated fatty acids, do not provide the body with any important nutrients. The high use of antibiotics, which favors the spread of multi-resistant germs, is just as worrying. environment Climate change, waste of resources and the extinction of species are often associated with high meat production. The air, soil, and water are just as polluted as energy because most of all global greenhouse gas emissions come from the keeping and processing of animals. However, greenhouse gases are not only produced when feeding and keeping livestock. Likewise, the storage of liquid manure, the production of animal feed, the deforestation of forests for further pasture areas, the cultivation of forage plants, and the high water consumption increase the poor ecological balance of meat production