Avowedly vegan

Saurabh Dalal of Lanham loves pizza, frequently ordering it with green peppers, black olives, onions and tomatoes. While many people indulge in the Italian cuisine for its high-calorie cheese, Mr. Dalal, 38, does without the dairy product.

Because he has been a vegan since 1991 — practicing a strict form of vegetarianism — Mr. Dalal avoids eating all meat and animal products. He is president of the Vegetarian Society of D.C., which has about 900 members and holds events throughout the area.

Even though Mr. Dalal practices the diet for ethical and religious reasons, he also is pleased with the added health benefits. He says he has had more energy since becoming a vegan, which he attributes to the intake of natural foods.

“There are so many problems today in terms of heart disease and cancer and hypertension,” he says. “I feel it has helped me in terms of keeping in shape. … I have a family history of diabetes. I think it’s much better to follow a vegan diet.”

Some people may view veganism — a term coined in the 1940s in England — as an unnecessarily extreme type of vegetarianism. Since it is most often associated with animal rights activists, the health benefits of the lifestyle often are overlooked. Persons who are vegans do not eat animal products, including meat, seafood, eggs and dairy products.

The diet is known to decrease risks of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and high blood pressure, says Paige Allen, a registered dietitian at the Washington Hospital Center in Northwest. Studies on the subject were published in 1999 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and in 2003 in the Journal of the American Dietetics Association.

“It’s not a fad diet,” Ms. Allen says. “It’s a healthy way to eat. … They tend to have higher intakes in fiber, and tend to be lower in saturated fats and cholesterol. … They eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.”

People who become vegans usually convert early in life, she says. As people become older, their patterns are more established, and it can be harder to change.

Once becoming vegans, persons usually investigate the contents of all foods before eating them. For instance, gelatin would not be acceptable because it contains animal products.

Vegans also might be careful about how their food is cooked. If meat is cooked on a backyard grill, true vegans would not eat vegetables warmed on the same grill. In addition to not consuming meat, vegans typically won’t wear animal products, either, such as leather or fur, for instance.

Even though people give up many foods on a vegan diet, they usually acquire a taste for alternatives such as soy milk or rice milk, Ms. Allen says. Vegan desserts and ice cream also are available.

However, Ms. Allen stresses that vegans need to make sure they are eating balanced diets. A potato-chip-and-soda diet may meet vegan standards, but it is not healthy.

Certain plants, such as legumes, have protein, but check with your physician or nutritionist to be sure your food plan is providing you with complete proteins (not proteins lacking any of the amino acids) when replacing meat. Calcium also is found in green leafy vegetables, beans and fortified orange juice. Green leafy vegetables and legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils, have iron as well.

Vegans should take a daily multivitamin, as well as extra vitamin B12 and vitamin D. There are supplements made to fit vegan food standards, she says.

“Children and pregnant and breast-feeding women need to be a little more careful as far as being sure they are getting all the vitamins, minerals, protein and calories they need,” Ms. Allen says. “Also, children have been shown to do fine on a vegan diet, but you have to be very careful to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need.”

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