Can you be vegan and low-carb? Yes, and the trial behind it never got near keto
Yes. A vegan low-carb diet beat a high-carb one on weight and LDL in a 6-month trial, yet its group still ate about 40% carbs. Plus 6 low-carb vegan foods.
Health & Nutrition
This is where the diet questions live: protein, calcium, low-carb, hunger, gas (there’s a whole cluster on gas, it’s a popular topic) and whether vegans really age faster. Most of them were first asked of me at family lunches, usually just as I reached for the potatoes, and I’ve had years to look up proper answers since. Spoiler: the answers are less dramatic than the questions.
I’m a dad who reads the studies, not a doctor. These posts explain what the research says and where it’s thin, and they aren’t medical advice (the healthcare disclaimer spells that out). If something here touches your own health, take it to someone who can actually examine you. For pills and powders, the Supplements section picks up where this one stops.
Start here: Do vegans get enough protein? · Calcium on a vegan diet · Eggplant and gas · Are vegans healthier than meat eaters? · Feeding vegan kids
Do vegans get hungry more often? Not in the trials we found
Over 2 years, people assigned a vegan diet reported no bigger change in hunger, and at NIH people ate 689 fewer calories a day on plants than on keto.
Can you eat oil on a plant-based diet? Yes, by the measured spoon, and the oil-free case is thinner than it sounds
Yes. A Mediterranean diet with olive oil beat a reduced-fat diet in the biggest trial we read. The oil-free study had no control group. Skip the coconut oil.
Is a vegan diet safe for kids? It can be healthy, and the US dietitians’ 2016 backing has expired
A vegan diet can be healthy for kids if B12, calcium, zinc, vitamin D and iron are maximized, says an AAP article. US dietitians' 2016 backing lapsed in 2021.
Do vegans get enough protein? On average yes, and the average hides who doesn’t
Most vegans get enough protein: EPIC-Oxford vegans averaged 0.99 g/kg a day, above the 0.83 RDA. But 16.5% of vegan men reported intakes below the requirement.
Do vegans get enough calcium? Often not without fortified food, and spinach barely counts
Vegans can get enough calcium, but NIH says people who skip dairy typically need fortified foods or supplements. Why spinach barely counts and tofu does.
Where can vegans get iron? The foods, and why the target is 1.8 times the usual
NIH puts iron needs 1.8 times higher on vegetarian diets, about 32 mg a day for women 19 to 50, by our arithmetic. The foods that carry it, and what blocks it.
Do vegans look older? What the twins, sun and skin-color studies show
We found no study showing vegans look older. In a twins study, a lower BMI went with an older face after 40; sun and smoking aged faces; vegetables tint skin.
Are vegans healthier than meat eaters? Better on the heart, worse on bones, and not clearly longer-lived
On the heart, mostly yes. On lifespan, the big US and UK studies show no clear vegan advantage over comparable meat eaters, and British vegans broke more hips.
Vegan gas and bloating: why more plants mean more gas, and why it usually fades
More plants mean more gas at first: in 3 bean studies, half or fewer noticed it in week 1 and most said it faded in 2 to 3 weeks. Smaller servings help.
Do vegans need B12? Yes, and only fortified food or a supplement reliably supplies it
Yes. Only fortified foods and supplements are reliable vegan B12 sources: at least 10 mcg a day or 2,000 mcg a week. Nori and spirulina don't count.
Is quinoa acidic or alkaline? Mildly acid-forming, like brown rice, and your blood won’t notice
Mildly acid-forming: by the standard PRAL formula cooked quinoa scores about +2.3 per 100 g, level with brown rice. Your urine notices, your blood doesn't.
Does eggplant cause gas? Rarely at a cup, so check the serving and the frying oil
Rarely at a normal portion: Monash rates 1 cup of eggplant low FODMAP. Big servings add sorbitol, and fried eggplant carries about 70 times the fat of raw.
