This Is Why Boxing Legend Mike Tyson Is Still Vegan

Vegan for Health

A growing body of evidence supports Tyson’s experiences with veganism and health. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a nonprofit organization that promotes a plant-based diet, eliminating diet could even reduce the need for certain types of medication, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs.

A PCRM meta-analysis from 2014 reviewed 39 different studies related to diet and blood pressure. It found that vegetarians and those following a meat-free diet tend to have lower blood pressure than those who eat meat.

Carrying excess weight can increase the risk of high blood pressure, something else which Tyson says was helped by adopting a vegan diet. PCRM says that a high-carb, vegan diet for can support healthy weight loss.

“Plant-based diets lead to weight loss, even without exercise or calorie counting,” says PCRM. “Replacing high-fat foods with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes naturally reduces calorie intake.”

Studies also indicate that a whole foods plant-based diet can be beneficial for arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. According to a review published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Nutrition, a plant-based diet can help manage the symptoms of arthritis and even support remission.

In addition to physical health benefits, eating more plant-based food can also improve mental health. Studies indicate that a vegan diet can help reduce depression, anxiety, and other common mental health issues.

In 2015, a study published in Nutritional Neuroscience Journal study explored the difference in mood between its participants. The results indicated that vegans experience less stress and anxiety, on average, than their meat-eating counterparts.

PCRM also supports the idea that plant-based foods can improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and low mood, in general.

Sports and the Vegan Diet

Many athletes are choosing a vegan diet to support their training, much like Tyson. As the plant-based lifestyle becomes more accessible—and more widely accepted—many people use a vegan diet to maximize their performance and recovery time.

Bangalorean bodybuilder, personal trainer, and dance instructor Abhishek Thevar follows a 100 percent plant-based diet. Thevar cut out dairy in 2014 and has maintained a strict diet throughout his entire weightlifting career.

“It’s a myth that people who are into sports need a lot of protein,” says Thevar. “It’s just a marketing gimmick that has been followed.” He adds: “An athlete needs only 1.2-1.8gms of protein per kg of the body weight, which can be covered in a vegan diet.”

Vegan protein is the subject of “The Game Changers” (2019). The documentary film follows James Wilks, an elite special forces trainer and martial artist. Wilks speaks to athletes about the plant-based diet and their own experiences with performance.

Throughout the film, Wilks and other experts question whether meat is the most efficient form of protein. According to Wilks, many athletes switch switching to plant-based food for its many health, nutritional, and environmental benefits.

He told LIVEKINDLY: “Athletes are in touch with their bodies in a way many ‘regular’ people aren’t. Many of them tell us that they can feel animal foods increasing inflammation and slowing them down.”

Recently, Tyson reiterated his meat-free, vegan diet.  “I don’t eat anything that has a mother and father,” said Tyson in a 2019 interview with QC Sports, as reported in the Daily Star.

“If you were created through a mother and father, through any kind of intercourse, I won’t eat you. So that means I only eat vegetables and stuff,” he added.