Following a vegan diet does not automatically mean eating healthily. While it is entirely possible to live a healthy vegan lifestyle, it is just as easy to rely on highly processed vegan foods. First and foremost, being vegan means excluding any product that has caused the death or suffering of an animal.
Within a vegan diet, people can make a wide range of choices about what to eat. Many vegans are very health conscious and focus on whole foods rather than processed options. However, there are also vegans who do not pay much attention to health promoting foods or the nutritional profile of what they consume.
It is entirely possible to be overweight or even obese on a vegan diet and, as a consequence, to develop related health problems. Being vegan for health, however, is not difficult and does not require more knowledge or effort than striving for optimal health on a diet that includes animal products.
There are many prejudices and fears surrounding a fully vegan or plant-based diet and lifestyle, and almost all of them are unfounded. Vegans are no more likely to suffer from deficiencies than anyone else, as long as they consume enough food and maintain a varied diet.
Vegans need to pay attention to vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids and iron. And so does everyone else who wants to maintain optimal health. The multi billion dollar market for nutritional supplements has certainly not been created because there are so many vegans in the world.
If your diet contains plenty of fruits, vegetables and legumes, you usually do not need any supplements. The main exception may be vitamin B12, which both vegans and non vegans need to pay attention to, as modern food production and hygiene standards have reduced reliable natural sources.