Welcome to the new Simply Supplements website. If you have a subscription created before the 8/6/26 please contact Customer Care to make changes.
Alimentation
Les 8 bienfaits d’une alimentation vegan
France
Ces derniers temps, nous entendons de plus en plus parler de produits et de régimes végétaliens. Nous nous sommes alors posé la question de savoir ce qu'est exactement le véganisme ? Comment a-t-il réussi à gagner en popularité aussi rapidement ?
Qu'est-ce que le véganisme ?
Le terme « végétalien » désigne une personne qui a délibérément décidé d'éliminer tous les aliments d'origine animale de son alimentation quotidienne. Un végétalien ne mange pas de viande (y compris de poisson, bien sûr), d'œufs, de produits laitiers, de miel. Ce choix s'étend également à la vie quotidienne et donc aux vêtements (pas de laine, de soie et de cuir) et aux modes de vie (on essaie, par exemple, d'impacter le moins possible l'environnement). Ceux qui suivent un mode de vie végétalien essaient également de choisir des cosmétiques et des produits ménagers qui ne sont pas dérivés d'animaux ou qui contiennent seulement des ingrédients naturels. La question du zéro déchet est également liée à la philosophie vegan, avec notamment la tendance à ne pas utiliser de produits plastiques à usage unique, à choisir des fibres naturelles pour les vêtements et le linge de maison, etc. C'est donc une vision et une approche à 360 degrés.
Passons en revue certaines des dernières recherches sur les avantages de devenir végétalien.
Voici nos 10 avantages de devenir végétalien :
1. Vivre plus longtemps
On pense qu'un régime complet à base de plantes peut prolonger la durée de vie. Une étude publiée dans le JAMA Internal Medicine Journal en 2016 semble le confirmer.
Après avoir surveillé 130 000 données sur la santé et l'alimentation des gens au cours des 30 dernières années, les scientifiques du Massachusetts General Hospital ont découvert que chaque augmentation de 3% des calories provenant des protéines végétales réduisait le risque de décès de 10%. Le passage des œufs aux protéines végétales a entraîné une réduction de 19% du risque de décès, et l'abandon de la viande rouge non transformée a diminué de 12%.
En d'autres termes, les statistiques suggèrent que les végétaliens étaient beaucoup moins susceptibles de mourir à un jeune âge que les personnes qui mangeaient de la viande, des œufs et des produits laitiers.
2. Gagner en énergie
Cela pourrait être dû au fait que les aliments d'origine animale nécessitent beaucoup d'énergie pour être digérés et ce qui provoquerait donc une somnolence après les repas. De plus, les noix, les céréales et les légumineuses ont un faible indice glycémique, ce qui stabilise la glycémie et empêche les effondrements énergétiques.
3. Perdre du poids
Les aliments végétaliens ont tendance à contenir moins de calories et moins de graisses saturées que les produits d'origine animale. C'est peut-être la raison pour laquelle une étude de 2016 sur la perte de poids a révélé que les personnes suivant un régime végétalien avaient un indice de masse corporelle (IMC) plus faible et perdaient plus de poids que les personnes suivant un autre régime.
4. Réduire les douleurs arthritiques
La polyarthrite rhumatoïde touche environ 1% de la population mondiale. De nombreuses études ont étudié le lien entre le régime alimentaire et les symptômes auto-déclarés chez les patients souffrant d'arthrite.
Une étude s'est concentrée sur des participants souffrant d'arthrose qui ont reçu au hasard un régime végétalien à base d'aliments végétaux ou de leur régime omnivore régulier. Au bout de six semaines, le groupe végétalien a signalé des améliorations majeures des niveaux d'énergie, de la vitalité et du fonctionnement physique.
5. Aider à réduire le cholestérol
Le cholestérol à lipoprotéines de basse densité (LDL) est communément appelé le mauvais cholestérol, car des taux élevés de LDL peuvent entraîner une accumulation de cholestérol dans les artères. Manger des graisses animales saturées génère plus de cholestérol LDL, donc le passage à un régime sans viande pourrait réduire le mauvais cholestérol et les crises cardiaques.
6. Améliorer la santé cardiaque
Un examen comparatif de la santé de 48 000 carnivores, pêcheurs, végétariens et végétaliens de plus de 18 ans a révélé que ceux qui suivaient un régime végétalien ou végétarien avaient un risque plus faible de maladie cardiaque. Les personnes qui ne mangeaient pas de viande avaient 10 cas de maladie cardiaque de moins pour 1 000 participants que les mangeurs de viande. L'étude a également signalé un risque plus élevé d'accident vasculaire cérébral chez les non-mangeurs de viande (trois de plus pour 1000 personnes que les mangeurs de viande).
7. Améliorer la santé intestinale
Les micros biomes sont les bonnes bactéries qui vivent dans le tube digestif. Les fibres aident à cultiver les bactéries intestinales, de sorte qu'un régime végétalien riche en fibres - présent dans les légumes et les légumineuses- peut conduire à des micros biomes intestinaux plus sains.
S'en tenir à un régime végétalien strict cultive différents types de bactéries qui peuvent aider à réduire l'inflammation dans l'intestin et peuvent avoir d'autres avantages tels qu'une augmentation du métabolisme.
8. Cela pourrait sauver la planète
Enfin, on pense qu'un mode de vie végétalien pourrait aider à sauver beaucoup plus de vies à l'avenir et prévenir de nombreuses maladies, réduire les émissions de gaz, conduire à des économies en matière de soins de santé et éviter les dommages climatiques.
C’est certainement un changement de mode de vie important à évaluer soigneusement mais qui pourrait mener à un avenir meilleur pour notre corps et la planète !
In the UK, men on average die four to six years earlier than women, have a life expectancy of 79.1 years, are significantly less likely to attend routine health screenings, are more likely to delay seeking medical attention for concerning symptoms, and face higher rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and suicide.
The dietary patterns, movement habits, sleep, stress management, and relationship with healthcare that men establish can have a profound influence on health outcomes across the lifespan.
Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death in men in the UK, and men develop it on average ten years earlier than women. The protective effect of oestrogen that delays cardiovascular disease in premenopausal women does not apply to men, meaning that risk accumulates from earlier in adulthood.
The key modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease include:
high blood pressure
elevated LDL cholesterol
high triglycerides,
insulin resistance,
smoking
excess visceral adiposity
physical inactivity
chronic stress
poor sleep
alcohol use and diet quality
Most of these can be influenced by nutrition and lifestyle, meaning that the everyday choices men make have a significant and compounding effect on their long-term cardiovascular risk.
Dietary patterns most strongly associated with reduced cardiovascular risk include:
Mediterranean diet
diets rich in vegetables and fruit
wholegrains
legumes
olive oil
nuts
oily fish
Focus should fall on predominantly whole food dietary patterns that are balanced, high in fibre and low in saturated fats.
Specific nutrients with the strongest cardiovascular evidence include omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce triglycerides and inflammation, soluble fibre from oats, barley, chia seeds, legumes, certain vegetables and fruit, which reduces LDL cholesterol, potassium from vegetables and fruit, which supports healthy blood pressure, and extra virgin olive oil for its anti-inflammatory properties.
In the UK, men are encouraged to have regular blood pressure and cholesterol screenings from their forties onward, and earlier for those with a family history of cardiovascular disease. Many men have elevated cardiovascular risk markers like LDL cholesterol for years before any symptoms arise, making regular monitoring genuinely important rather than optional.
Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Health
Men are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes than women at equivalent body weights, partly due to the tendency of men to accumulate visceral fat (fat around the internal organs) rather than subcutaneous fat (fat beneath the skin).
Visceral adiposity is metabolically active and drives insulin resistance, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk in ways that subcutaneous fat does not to the same degree.
Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable and in its early stages often reversible through dietary and lifestyle change. The evidence for dietary approaches to improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic health consistently points toward reducing refined carbohydrate and added sugar intake, increasing dietary fibre, eating regular meals with adequate protein, fibre and fat to moderate blood glucose response, and regular physical activity.
Waist circumference is a more informative marker of metabolic risk than body weight or BMI alone. A waist circumference above 94cm in men is associated with increased metabolic risk, and above 102cm with substantially elevated risk.
This is worth knowing not as a point of shame, but as a practical piece of health information that is easy to measure and track.
Dietary quality improvements, increased physical activity, and better sleep can all improve insulin sensitivity and reduce visceral fat independently of changes in overall body weight.
Prostate Health
According to Cancer Research, 1 in 6 men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. When detected early, it is one of the most survivable cancers and so regular screening is particularly important for men over 50 and men with a family history of prostate cancer or with Black African or Caribbean heritage.
In epidemiological research, those who consume diets rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon their red pigment, has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer, though evidence is mixed.
Lycopene is significantly more bioavailable from cooked or processed tomatoes than raw, with tomato paste, passata, and canned tomatoes providing more absorbable lycopene than fresh tomatoes.
The overall dietary pattern matters more than any single nutrient. Higher vegetable, fruit and wholegrains intake, adequate zinc, and a predominantly whole food dietary pattern are associated with better prostate health outcomes. Diets high in processed meat and very high in saturated fat are associated with modestly increased risk in large prospective studies.
Testosterone and Hormonal Health
Testosterone levels in men decline gradually from the mid-thirties onward, with research suggesting an average decline of around 1 to 2% per year after age 40. This is a normal part of aging, but the trajectory and rate of decline are influenced by lifestyle factors, meaning that the choices men make in their thirties and forties meaningfully affect their hormonal health in their fifties and beyond.
Several nutritional and lifestyle factors are associated with better testosterone status. Adequate zinc intake is directly relevant: zinc is essential for testosterone synthesis, and deficiency is associated with reduced testosterone levels.
Good sources include shellfish, pumpkin seeds, and legumes. Adequate dietary fat intake, particularly from monounsaturated and saturated fat sources in moderate amounts, supports testosterone production, as testosterone is synthesised from cholesterol.
Vitamin D deficiency, which is widespread in the UK, is associated with lower testosterone levels so correcting any deficiency may improve testosterone status. Maintaining adequate vitamin D year-round through blood work to assess levels and supplementation when needed can therefore be relevant to hormonal health.
Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which directly suppresses testosterone production. This is one of several reasons why stress management is not separate from men's hormonal health but integral to it.
Sleep is equally relevant: testosterone is primarily produced during sleep, and research has found that even one week of sleeping five hours per night reduces testosterone levels by approximately 10 to 15% in young men, a reduction equivalent to ageing ten to fifteen years.
Sleep and Sleep Apnoea
Sleep affects testosterone, cardiovascular health, metabolic function, immune resilience, cognitive performance, emotional regulation, and physical recovery.
Sleep apnoea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, is significantly more common in men than in women, and is associated with fatigue, poor cognitive function, elevated cardiovascular risk, and reduced testosterone. It is frequently undiagnosed because the primary symptom is snoring combined with daytime sleepiness, which many men normalise. If you or your partner have noticed loud or irregular snoring combined with daytime fatigue, discussing this with a GP is worthwhile.
Seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night is the evidence-supported range for most adults. Consistent sleep and wake times, a cool dark bedroom, limiting alcohol, avoiding caffeine after midday, and managing stress are the most consistently evidence-supported sleep hygiene strategies.
Alcohol
Men in the UK drink more alcohol on average than women and are more likely to drink at hazardous or harmful levels. The NHS guidelines recommend no more than 14 units of alcohol per week spread across at least three days, with alcohol-free days each week.
Alcohol at higher intake levels is associated with liver disease, several cancers including colorectal and liver cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, depression, cognitive decline, impaired sleep, reduced testosterone, and reduced fertility.
The relationship between alcohol and health is not linear, and while low-level drinking has historically been associated with some cardiovascular benefits, more recent research applying Mendelian randomisation methods suggests that even moderate drinking carries some increased risk.
This is not about prohibition. It is about honest awareness that alcohol is one of the most significant modifiable risk factors for serious health conditions in men, and that staying within recommended guidelines meaningfully reduces long-term risk.
Engaging With Healthcare
One of the most impactful things men can do for their long-term health is engage proactively with healthcare rather than reactively. This means attending NHS health checks when invited (available to those aged 40 to 74), discussing blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose screening with a GP, being aware of bowel cancer screening (offered to those over 60 in the UK), having conversations about prostate health from the mid-forties onward for those with risk factors, and not dismissing symptoms or delaying seeking help when something feels wrong.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 49 afd is highly treatable when caught early. Regular self-examination and prompt reporting of any lumps or changes to a GP are important habits. Skin cancer rates are higher in men partly due to lower rates of sun protection, and regular skin checks for changing moles or lesions are worthwhile.
Mental Health
Men are less likely to seek help for depression and anxiety, less likely to discuss emotional difficulties with friends or family, and more likely to manage distress through avoidance, alcohol, or other external coping strategies rather than directly addressing the underlying issue. These patterns can have devastating consequences when unaddressed, and they are deeply connected to social norms around masculinity that equate emotional expression with weakness.
The most important message regarding men's mental health is to reach out. To your GP, to a therapist, to a trusted friend, to a helpline and to engage in psychological therapies like CBT and ACT for mental health support.
Closing Thoughts
Men's health is shaped by the accumulation of daily choices across decades: what is eaten, how much movement happens, how sleep is prioritised, how stress is managed, how much alcohol is consumed, and whether medical or mental health care is sought when needed.
None of these are binary or all-or-nothing. Small, consistent improvements in multiple areas compound meaningfully over time.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare or nutrition professional. If you're experiencing persistent or severe symptoms, please consult your healthcare provider.
Sources:
https://www.nmcd-journal.com/article/S0939-4753(23)00385-X/fulltexthttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6906176/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11958419/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960076021000716?via%3Dihubhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8743653/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949789225000881https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.13257
Learn how to support summer health with hydration, seasonal foods, sunlight, gut health, sleep and exercise for better energy, digestion and wellbeing.
Discover evidence-based supplements for heart health, including CoQ10, omega-3, magnesium and fibre, and how they support cholesterol, blood pressure and cardiovascular function.
Learn how to fuel your workouts for strength, energy and recovery with protein, creatine and smart carbohydrates. Discover practical pre- and post-workout nutrition tips.
