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.”

Even though balancing a vegan diet can be tricky, most of the people who come to eat at the Vegetable Garden restaurant in Rockville want to follow better eating habits, says owner Jack Sun. The majority of his customers are not committed vegans, but they frequent his vegan restaurant trying to establish a healthier diet.

About 10 years ago, Mr. Sun had heart problems that led to bypass surgery. He has since changed his diet. Some of his friends suggested he share his knowledge of veganism with others through a specialized restaurant.

“I became a vegan because I wanted to live longer,” he says. “Our produce is organic. We don’t use artificial color. We are all natural. We use organic sea salt and soy sauce. It’s all healthy.”

Even though Krissi Vandenberg became a vegan because of her ethical beliefs, she is pleased that she also benefits from the good eating habits. She is executive director of Vegan Action, a nonprofit education organization in Richmond. The association offers a third-party certification service for vegan products.

She quotes statistical information from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit advocacy group in Northwest, when asked to publicly discuss health matters related to veganism.

For instance, some studies show that people with diabetes can improve their health by eating an “unrefined, vegan diet.” Also, for some women who suffer from menstrual pain, other studies show that diets without animal products and a minimum of vegetable oils might reduce their symptoms.

“People tend to stay a vegetarian or vegan longer since they are eating a healthy, fulfilling diet,” she says. “Once the political aspects start to wane or subside, sometimes people say, ’I’m not doing this anymore for the activist aspect.’ Instead, they recognize the health benefits and are interested in maintaining a vegan diet primarily for health reasons.”

A vegan diet is much more interesting and varied that most people would expect, says Erik Marcus of Ithaca, N.Y., who is publisher of Vegan.com, a Web site devoted to providing vegan news and information. He has been a vegan for 17 years and has written a book called “Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating.”

“I’m just finishing grilling up some broccoli in a George Foreman grill that I will top with a bit of soy margarine,” he says. “Later I will be making a loaf of vegan bread in my bread machine. My typical day might start with a glass of soy milk and some nuts, a Clif Bar and fruit.”