What Is Vegan Diet? What Are Its Risks?
What Is Vegan Diet? What Are Its Risks?
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What Is Vegan Diet? What Are Its Risks? Read the article below for more details about Vegan Diet

What Is Vegan Diet?

Vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruits are all part of a vegan diet, as are products manufactured from plants.

Vegans abstain from eating foods derived from animals, such as dairy and eggs.

All animal products are excluded from vegan diets, including meat, dairy, fish, eggs, and (often) honey.

Going vegan is the single best thing you can do for your health, according to Netflix films, celebrities, and organizations in recent years.

Up to eight million Americans and 1.5 million Britons now adopt a plant-based diet, a ten-fold increase from a decade ago, suggesting that the strong message has permeated society.

One of the biggest selling points of veganism was that it cuts out red meat and mince, which have long been linked to cancer.

What Are Its Risks?

 

Going vegan may also be harmful to your health, particularly if you don’t take many supplements, according to mounting research.

According to studies, vegans are more likely to experience fractured bones and anemia because their limited diet deprives them of essential nutrients that only meat and dairy products can supply in sufficient quantities.

A plant-based diet may lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes or a heart attack, but the deficits it causes may increase your risk of having a stroke.

There has been an increase of highly processed vegan meals in recent years that are said by experts to be equally as bad for our health, if not worse.

Entire supermarket aisles have been dedicated to plant-based products, from vegan cheeses to meat-free burgers and non-dairy ice cream.

To achieve the impossible task of making bland vegetables or tofu credible substitutes, food makers often have to cram them full of unhealthy oils, starch and other ingredients high in saturated fat, sugar and salt.

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In many cases, they are higher in calories and lower in vital nutrients than animal-based products.

DailyMail.com reveals how going vegan isn’t always a good health choice: 

What Is Vegan Diet? What Are Its Risks?
What Is Vegan Diet? What Are Its Risks?

Many people are persuaded to become vegans by claims that doing so can aid in weight loss and even lower their chances of developing certain types of cancer. However, adopting a new diet has a number of health hazards since it can cause a person to become lacking in nutrients that they would typically get through vitamins and animal products.

Broken bones

The Game Changers, a Netflix documentary released in 2018 and regarded at the time as the service’s “most watched” documentary, was a huge success.

It was asserted that eating meat could impair an athlete’s performance, ruin the heart and sexual organs, and hasten death.

However, research conducted since then has shown that vegans are significantly more likely than meat eaters to consume a diet low in calcium, which puts them at a higher risk of developing brittle bones and a shortfall in energy.

For healthy bones, the body needs roughly 1,300 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day, which is primarily obtained through milk, cheese, and yogurt.

However, in order to consume enough of the mineral, vegans must rely on foods like rye bread, broccoli, and spinach, all of which must be consumed in excess.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

 

  •  Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count;

  • Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain;

  • 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on;

  • Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options;

  • Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily);

  • Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts;

  • Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day;

  • Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day.

    Source: NHS Eatwell Guide

The body begins to reabsorb calcium from bones when there is a deficit and uses it for other purposes including assisting in the contraction of muscles or controlling heart rhythm.

A 2020 study cautioned that vegans are more than twice as likely to get a hip fracture, ankle injury, or other bone damage on their leg.

In comparison to meat eaters, they consumed roughly 611 mg of calcium per day as opposed to 1,058 mg for meat eaters.

Researchers contend that the increased risk of fractures among vegans was caused by a deficiency in calcium intake.

They also mentioned quick weight loss, which is considered as a perk of veganism.

They said that losing weight would leave less ‘cushioning’ for bones when someone falls, raising the risk of a fracture. They also said that being lighter means bones need to carry less weight, leading to them being weaker.

Another study from 2022 suggested vegetarian women were more likely than meat-eaters to damage their hips later in life.

According to the study, which included 26,000 middle-aged women, the risk of fractures was 33% higher for those who did not eat meat. The findings also imply that vegans are more at risk, even though these women continued to consume milk and eggs.

The increased risk of bone fractures in vegans was also noted in a 2008 study.

1100 vegans were among the 26,000 women and 8,000 males analyzed in the study. It was discovered that after five years, vegans were 30% more likely on average to fracture a bone than meat eaters.

But for vegans that consumed supplements of about 525mg a day, they were just as likely to suffer fractures as others.

Supporters of veganism argue, however, that it is possible to avoid this effect by planning a diet well to ensure it contains enough calcium. They also recommend supplements.

Anemia

Normally the body manufactures enough red blood cells to supply adequate oxygen to all cells, allowing them to carry out their daily functions.

But in anemics, there are too few red blood cells for this task — triggering symptoms including tiredness, pale skin, irregular heartbeats and shortness of breath.

Vegans are far more likely to develop anemia than meat eaters because they avoid animal products, which are important sources of the iron and vitamin B12 required for the production of red blood cells.

A 2019 study found that 6.6% of vegans have anemia, which is double the 2.9% of meat eaters who also have the illness. The percentage was 3.9% for vegetarians.

More than 200,000 persons in the UK were included in this paper’s sample, including 6,500 vegans.

Vegetarian women are a THIRD more likely to suffer the following:

 

Hip fracture

According to a research of over 26,000 middle-aged women, individuals who avoid eating meat and fish have a 33% increased risk of hip fractures.

The researchers hypothesized that this might be as a result of their lower consumption of nutrients related to healthy bones and muscles.

Additionally, it supports the recommendation that vegetarians should supplement their meals with essential nutrients.

According to studies published in August, vegetarian women are more likely than meat-eaters to break their hips later in life.

A team from Leeds University investigated the risk of hip fracture in occasional meat-eaters, pescatarians – who eat fish but not meat – and vegetarians compared to regular meat-eaters.

Among 26,318 women, 822 hip fracture cases were observed over roughly 20 years – meaning around 3 per cent of women experienced them.

Analysis, published in the journal BMC Medicine, found that after adjusting for factors such as smoking and age, vegetarians were the only diet group with an elevated risk of hip fracture.

The team also discovered the average BMI among vegetarians was slightly lower than the average among the regular meat eaters.

Previous research has shown a link between low BMI and high risk of hip fracture, which could help explain the finding.

Lead author James Webster said vegetarian diets can vary, with some still being unhealthy.

‘Our study highlights potential concerns regarding risk of hip fracture in women who have a vegetarian diet,’ he said.

‘However, it is not warning people to abandon vegetarian diets. As with any diet, it is important to understand personal circumstances and what nutrients are needed for a balanced healthy lifestyle.

Similar to diets containing animal products, vegetarian diets can be either healthy or unhealthy depending on the individual.

But it’s worrying that vegetarian diets frequently have lower intakes of nutrients linked to healthy bones and muscles. Protein, calcium, and other micronutrients are examples of the types of nutrients that are often more prevalent in meat and other animal products than in plants.

Low intake of these nutrients may increase your risk of hip fracture by lowering your bone mineral density and muscle mass.

Anemia

A 2016 study found that vegans were more likely than meat eaters to get borderline anemia, hence it was cautioned that vegans must make sure they acquire enough nutrients.

Up to the age of 50, women need roughly 15 mg of iron per day; however, following menopause, this amount reduces to 8.7 mg. Every day, men require roughly 8mg.

Liver, poultry, salmon, and other red meats like beef, lamb, and pork are high in iron and vitamin B12.

But in order to consume the recommended daily levels for vegans, a lot of lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and fortified cereal must be consumed.

 

Stroke/ B12 deficiency 

According to a 2019 study, a fifth of vegans are already estimated to be vitamin B12 deficient, which, physicians warn, puts them at risk for irreparable nerve damage that might lead to numb hands and feet.

Additionally, because they will need to eat more because the body can not absorb plant-based iron as readily as it does animal-based iron.

Once more, proponents of the diet advise vegans to take iron and vitamin B12 supplements to prevent a deficit and the ensuing anemia.

According to some studies, eating a vegan diet may actually increase your chance of having a stroke.

It is well-established that avoiding eating red meat will help lower someone’s risk of suffering heart disease, and also cut their risk of type 2 diabetes.

But a British study involving 48,000 people — including 16,000 vegans — found there were three more cases of stroke per 100,000 people among vegans compared to meat-eaters.

The scientists warned their results were observational, meaning they did not prove that the change in nutrients being taken on in the diet was behind the higher risk.

But in the 2019 paper they did point out that a deficiency of vitamin B12 — more common in vegans — raises the risk of stroke.

This was due to the fact that its absence prevents the removal of proteins from the blood stream, which causes inflammation and increases the risk of blood vessel damage. This is a significant stroke risk factor.

Other studies, including one from 2016 that included 60,000 Britons and 2,200 vegans, did not find this association.

The verdict is still out on whether a vegan diet increases a person’s chance of having a stroke; experts believe additional research is required to support the conclusions.

According to US regulators, adults require 2.4mg of vitamin B12 daily to maintain optimal function.

Sardines, beef, tuna, and animal liver are among the best sources for meat eaters. Marmite, fortified soy, and some plant-based meats are the best sources for vegans.

Hair loss

Anecdotal evidence suggests that vegans are more prone than meat-eaters to have hair loss, although no substantial scientific research has been done to support this claim.

Hair is not a “essential tissue,” according to scalp health specialist Dr. Anabel Kingsley, therefore the body may remove it if there is a nutrient shortage.

She told the Insider, “Excessive shedding might happen if you’re not consuming enough of the right meals or your body is not absorbing enough nutrients.” “The body withholds this from the hair first, even if you’re only slightly low in a nutrient,” said the author.

Loss of hair linked to veganism is temporary scientists say, with the lost strands returning once the nutrient deficiency subsides. This differs from baldness, which is caused by changing testosterone levels.

Keratin, the protein that makes up hair, is created from a variety of other proteins that are prevalent in animal tissue.

Scientists contend that a vitamin B12 or iron shortage could also induce hair loss because the anemia it generates would prevent enough oxygen from reaching places like the scalp.

This could prevent hair follicles from regrowing lost hairs, which would result in balding.

Numerous research, including ones from this year and in 2019 have connected vitamin shortages to hair loss.

Depression

Many believe swearing off meat and other animal products should leave people feeling good about themselves for protecting wildlife and the planet.

But a growing body of evidence suggests people who have turned vegan are more likely to be depressed than those who eat meat.

One study published this year which surveyed 14,000 Brazilians between 35 and 74 years old found those who followed a vegan diet were twice as likely to be depressed — even if they had similar nutrient intakes to carnivores.

A meta-analysis published in 2020 and including 160,000 meat-eaters and 8,500 meat-abstainers also found those who cut meat from their diet were significantly more likely to be depressed.

Many scientists argue this is not connected to the nutritional restrictions that come with veganism.

Instead, they say it is down to people who choose restrictive diets like veganism being more likely to have eating disorders such as anorexia.

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