So you went vegan in January – now what?

Anna Shepulova, The Conversation

Many people will have had their fill of cheese, chocolate and meat over Christmas and have felt much more energised after going vegan in January (an event known as Veganuary). This invigorating feeling is largely due to the increase in fruit, vegetables, nuts and pulses as opposed to the cutting out of meat and dairy, but it’s still a big win.

One of the main benefits of a more plant-based diet is the increase in fibre. Fibre has been in the press recently after a major review in The Lancet reported that getting more than 25g of fibre per day significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and type 2 diabetes.

A 2015 study of different dietary patterns showed that vegans had an average daily fibre intake of 41g, compared with vegetarians, flexitarians and pescatarians at 34g. Omnivores get a mere 27g of fibre a day, on average.

Keeping up the habits you adopted in Veganuary that keeps your fibre intake high is likely to be of great benefit to your long-term health.

What to take forward from Veganuary

While the jury is still out on whether a vegan diet is healthier than a well-balanced omnivorous diet in the long run, you may well have picked up some new recipes and ideas for eating more plants. And we know that increasing fruit and veg intake is great for your body and may even help prevent depression.

Eating a rainbow of fruit and vegetables has been a message we’ve been hearing for a while, but with the progressing research into polyphenols, which are the compounds that dictate the colour of the plant, getting the benefit of the full range of polyphenols on offer is likely to optimise your health in many ways.

Maybe you’ve experimented with a few new fruits or vegetables, so keep up with the increased variety.