What are recommended health targets for average vegans?

For the past three months I’ve been doing an online vegan nutrition course. It’s been a tremendous learning experience and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, especially the research needed to complete all ten assignments. So, I thought I’d put together a few posts covering some aspects of vegan nutrition. But, as we’re on a bit of a health kick at VV HQ, I was struck by the thought: what health targets should we be aiming for?

Maintain a healthy weight

According to the World HealthOrganization, worldwide obesity has more than tripled since 1975 and in 2016 more than 38% of the world population were overweight. Halting the global rise of obesity is one of the WHO’s targets for non-communicable diseases. Vegans are generally considered to be at lower risk of obesity, and indeed, some of the research I’ve read suggested that the average BMI of vegans was around 24. I have to confess that this is still a target to be achieved for us here at VV HQ.

Healthy weight is usually calculated by reference to Body Mass Index or BMI. It’s a simple height to weight ratio, with the ‘safe’ ideal range being 20 to 25. There are lots of BMI calculators online – I usually use the NHS one, or you can get the calculator out with this formula: weight in kg ÷ height m² (to obtain height in m² just multiply height in metres x height in metres).

Keep blood pressure under control

Blood pressure is the force that the heart uses to pump blood around the body. Everyone is familiar with the phrase ‘120 over 80’ commonly referred to as the ideal blood pressure target. These two figures are the systolic and diastolic measurements. Systolic is the pressure in the arteries as the blood pumps away from the heart; diastolic is the pressure in the arteries while the heart is resting between beats. Normal or ideal is around 80/120; anything over 140/90 is considered to be a risk. High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. As high blood pressure is related to diet, obesity and exercise it’s worth keeping an eye on these factors and aim for a target of 120/80.

Watch your cholesterol levels

This is something that most vegans should not have a problem with. Dietary cholesterol is only found in animal products; plant foods contain no cholesterol. In a 2013 report on cholesterol levels, vegans were found to have lower levels of cholesterol than omni’s – 13% lower in men, 17% lower in women (EPIC-Oxford, 2013). There’s a great deal more detail in this fascinating article from well-known vegan dietitian Jack Norris. Meanwhile, the targets you need to know are:

Total cholesterol less than 200mg

LDL (so called “bad” cholesterol) less than 100mg

HDL (so called “good” cholesterol) above 60mg

Ratio LDL:HDL 3.5:1

Triglycerides (a type of fat) below 150mg

Dietary targets

I’ll cover the individual elements of the vegan dietary pie chart in future posts. Meanwhile, the recommended levels are an overall calories intake of 2000 for adult women and 2500 for adult men, allocated between protein (10–20% of calories), fats (20–35% of calories) and carbohydrates (55–75% of calories). Vegans also need a vitamin B12 supplement, and to keep an eye on their intake or levels of vitamin D, calcium (RDA 1200mg), iron (RDA 8mg) and iodine.