Is Veganism Really Healthy?
A few days back, I was reading in the paper that Pamela Anderson has sent Vegan goodies to the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and a few others and on the other page was a small column citing that Vegans might be healthier than the non-vegetarians but they are no way the happier ones. Now this was something that confused me a bit, as we generally consider health synonymous to happiness. Then as usual the curiosity in me rose up its head and I was researching all about Veganism and why Vegans are not the happiest people on earth. Well, frankly speaking I didn’t find much of proof for that news item which said that Vegans are not the happier lot, rather all research indicated that vegans and vegetarians are less stressed and the healthier people. But yes, I did find a few facts regarding how Veganism causes nutrition deficiencies among people who follow that diet protocol.
Is Veganism nutrition deficient?
It is very important for any meal to have a plethora of nutrition to be actually called an optimal diet but we find that there are a few common nutrients lacking in a vegan diet. The most common nutrients not found in veganism are:
1) Vitamin B12
Since a human body cannot create Vitamin B12 on its own but can be easily acquired through animal meats, so here is what the vegans lack first and foremost. There are countless studies which concluded that Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common among vegans.
Creatine is only found in animal meat and is important to form adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) a molecule, which is of utmost value for high-intensity workouts such as sprinting and lifting heavy weights.
Carnitine is very important in treating heart issues, anorexia, fatigue, male infertility, sexual dysfunction and depression in aging people. It is common problem for vegans as they risk becoming deficient in this amino acid by staying with plant foods.
Carnosine is found in animal meat as it is the only food containing significant amounts of Carnosine which acts as an anti-oxidant. Carnosine is known to boost immunity, protect against cataracts, reduce gastric ulcers, free the body and toxic metals.
Taurine is an amino acid found in the heart, brain, and central nervous system. It possesses antioxidant capabilities to improve cardiac function in patients with congestive heart failure.We humans can synthesize our own Taurine, which is great, however it is common to find Taurine deficiencies in vegans.
Zinc is essential for optimal growth and a deficiency could be detrimental to one’s health. Research says that Zinc deficiencies are common in third world countries and in vegans. Toasted wheat germ, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted squash seeds, dried watermelon seed, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, peanuts, low-fat fruit yogurt, cashews, chickpeas and dried roasted almonds are a few common zinc rich foods for vegans.
Red meat is the main source of iron in blood which helps transport oxygen to bodily tissues and an iron deficiency can lead to poor immunity and fatigue. Women who lose iron during menstruation, should seriously consider consuming iron through animal meats as it can greatly improve iron absorption compared with plant-based iron supplementation because of the heme iron content.
Long chain fatty acids such as fish oils are essential for growth as well as immune system and ironically, well known for being under-consumed. Flax is the most important and easily available plant source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Vegans have a deficiency of Omega -3 without supplements.
What should be done?
Vegans can however use some new supplements to help with this issue. Simple steps like taking iron, zinc and Omega-3 supplements can show a marked increase in energy levels of Vegans.
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