The evidence for plant-based diets is compelling, but achieving total adherence to a plant-based diet on a population level is unrealistic and perhaps unnecessary.
A significant reduction in the consumption of meat products combined with increased consumption of plant-based foods, particularly fruit and vegetables, is likely to yield the positive benefits of a plant-based diet, while also reducing the likelihood of deficiencies.
The NHS acknowledges that vegan diets are suitable for all individuals other than children under the age of two, though a good understanding of dietary requirements is needed.
For older children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, care needs to be taken to ensure the necessary requirements for energy, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D are met.
When plant-based diets are both well planned and varied, they have the potential for extensive benefits in terms of both health and sustainability.
Harvard School of Public Health. (2010, May 18). Eating processed meats, but not unprocessed red meats, may raise risk of heart disease and diabetes, study finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100517161130.htm