Human Health

According to recent data, 67.5% of Black adults in the UK are overweight or obese, indicating a concerning trend in this demographic.

Additionally, individuals from South Asian and African or Caribbean backgrounds are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, with a higher prevalence of risk factors such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

In fact, South Asians, African Caribbeans, and Black Africans are 2-4 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

In the United States, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities experience higher rates of lifestyle diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure, when compared to white Americans. These health disparities are a significant concern and must be addressed in order to improve health outcomes for all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity.

Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet

1. Weight loss:

  • People following a plant-based diet tend to have lower body mass index (BMI). Being obese or overweight increases your risk of developing many serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
  • Research shows that a plant-based diet does not only help with weight loss, but also with maintenance.

2. Blood Pressure

  • High blood pressure (hypertension) can increase your risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. A number of studies have shown that those eating a plant-based diet have lower blood pressure than other diet groups

3. Heart Disease

  • By removing animal products from your diet, thus saturated fat, and adopting a whole food plant-based diet, you can not only prevent but also reverse heart disease

4. Type 2 Diabetes

  • Studies suggest that a plant-based diet reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, improves insulin function and can reverse the symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes

5. Cancer

  • Avoiding animal products while eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of colorectal cancer, breast and prostate cancer

6. Brain Health

  • Research shows that following a whole food plant-based diet is associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment and may protect against Alzheimer’s

Need help to go vegan? Check out these culturally appropriate guides.

South American Vegan Recipes

African American Vegan Starter Guide

Indian Guide to Going Vegan

Plant B  21 Day Challenge (Middle East)

Vegan Starter Guide Iran

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Recipes from Nigeria

Tomi Makanjuolo, aka The Vegan Nigerian

Vegan Recipes from the Philippines

RG Enriquez-Diez, aka AstigVegan

Middle Eastern inspired Recipes

Nada, aka One Arab Vegan

Vegan Recipes from Korea

Joanne Molinaro, aka the Korean vegan

Vegan Recipes from West Africa

Betty Vandy

Vegan recipes from Vietnam

Lisa Le, aka the VietVegan

vegan recipes from India

Vaishali, aka Holy Cow

Vegan Recipes from Malaysia

WoonHeng Chia

Vegan Recipes from Iran

Mana, aka the Iranina Vegan

 

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