What Are The Consequences Of vegan diet?

What are the consequences of Vegan diet?

The vegan diet consists of eating only plants, which is unbalanced and can be poorly tolerated by some. The consequences of vegan diet mustn’t be neglected, which are the deficiencies in certain macro and micronutrients necessary for the functioning of our body. It’s good to eat a lot of plants but eating only vegan still raises questions.

What is a vegan diet ?

The vegan diet is a way of eating that excludes everything that is of animal source, and is limited to foods that are made from plants.

Vegan diet basics

• It was in 1944 that the vegan diet first appeared.
• It is based on an exclusively plant-based diet, and excludes all foods of animal origin.
• This type of diet is much better known as a dietary exercise and not as a diet for pathology.

Foods allowed in the vegan diet

As I said, it’s 100%  plant based diet, everything you eat in vegan diet should be from vegetable origin, including; 

• All fruits and veggies
• Rye, barley, wheat, oats ( nuts and grains)
• Breads and pasta
• Rice and corn
• Soy milk : it’s absolutely vegan cause it’s made from soybeans
• Coconut milk and almond milk 
• Vegetable oils.

Prohibited foods in the vegan diet

Simply, a vegan cannot eat anything that is derived from an animal source or that comes from animals including:

• All kinds of red meat and its products.
• Eggs,Pollen
• royal jelly
• Gelatin
•  creams and glasses, milk and dairy products, butter and some margarines, offal, cookies, and all kinds of industrial cakes, pastries, mayonnaise (since it’s made with eggs), animal oils,honey ( made by bees),fish or shellfish such as clams and crabs ( seafood in general).

Are margarines vegan ?

The margarine must be classified in the foods authorized in the vegan diet, however it only seems to you that it is vegan, the problem that they add additives or products that can be of animal origin for the purpose of preserving the taste or the structure or in order to preserve them among these products it can be (the lactose) that is prohibited in the vegan diet.

Which margarine is vegan?

Since I explained to you that margarines are not vegan since they are not 100% vegan, you will have doubts about how to choose the right vegan margarine. I recommend you in this case a margarine which must be excluded of any product of animal origin and even without gluten, the : Parkey margarine squeeze

Is honey vegan ?

Absolutely not, it’s not considered vegan since it comes from animal origin which is bees.

Why do people follow the vegan diet?

There are many reasons why some people follow a vegan diet. Some religions believe that consuming anything of animal origin can be considered as violence, so they deprive themselves of all animal products. 

Other people have chosen veganism as a lifestyle to maintain a healthy mind and body. 

However, today we see more and more the tendency to choose veganism as a way to lose weight as this diet is a bit restrictive.

Is it dangerous to be vegan?

As far as veganism is concerned, there are no animal products! Nothing at all! We have only plants

So here we have some problems: 

The vitamin B12: 

It is a water-soluble vitamin very necessary for the manufacture of the red blood cells since it enters the constitution of the hemoglobin. So it’s absolutely essential. It’s found much more in animal products (cod liver, lamb liver, lean beef, rabbit meat ..), and in very small quantities in vegan products. In this case there is no study for the moment that proves that these vegan products can cover our needs in Vit B12.

Protein deficiency: 

in fact, in order to have our needs in animal proteins which are of good biological value, we have to take three full bowls of cereals and legumes, which seems a lot and is not well tolerated on the digestive level. Why ?

Because cereals and legumes are rich in fiber, but what kind of fiber? It is the insoluble fiber that has the capacity to reabsorb water and make your stools riper and with more volume.

Iron :

In relation to iron, unfortunately animal iron is much better taken in than vegetable iron, which can cause iron deficiencies that we cannot replace with vegetables.

Omega 3: 

These omegas allow the good functioning of our cardiovascular, cerebral, inflammatory, and even hormonal system!

So I want to tell you that eating plants is very good but eating vegan still raises questions on the scientific level because of the lack of research that proves its healthiness.

Best protein sources from vegan diet 

I told you above that among the disadvantages of vegan diet is that it doesn’t bring us animal proteins.

However, in your vegan diet, if you want to know the sources of vegetable proteins, let’s go: 

So of course animal proteins are irreplaceable, but if you still want to have a good amount of protein, let me tell you that you need to get at least 20 to 25g of plant protein for a meal, here is a program that will help you get your proper amounts: 

• Tempeh : ½  a cup = 15 grams. That’s the highest ( just make sure it’s organic ).
• Nuts : ½ a cup = 14 grams
• Tofu: 1/2 cup  = 10g. That’s not bad at all!, just make sure it’s not GMF  (genetically modified food)!
• Lentils: 1 tsp = 1.1 g
• Quinoa : ½ cup = 8 grams . It’s not bad at all,  though it’s a bit higher i n carbs.
• Hemp :4 TBSP = 12 grams. 
• Sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds : ½ a cup = 6 grams, that’s pretty high also.
• Chia seeds : 1 ounce is 5 grams.

Vegan diet benefits

Ok now let’s just talk about the benefits of a vegan diet.

• So foods that are plant-based are very rich in antioxidants: Vitamins that fight cellular aging and oxidation in your body. 
• Contains vitamin K which preserves our cardiovascular health.
• The vegan diet brings less calories which will help us to lose weight.
• Preserves our blood circulation which protects us from artery problems.
• It brings us antioxidants, less cholesterol, and less bad fats.
• They are rich in water: this will allow good hydration to your body.

Does the vegan diet make you lose weight?

Of course! the vegan diet is a form of restrictive diet, and every restrictive diet will absolutely help you lose weight. 

It’s hypocaloric: Most of the plants are hypocaloric which will be a positive point for those who want to lose weight, or those who do not want to gain weight.

Plants are rich in fiber:

The dietary fiber is satiating which will allow you to feel full, despite the small amount of calories you have brought to your body.

 Also , dietary fiber has an essential role  in improving bowel transit. Thus, fiber reduces the absorption of excess cholesterol (which you can get from certain vegetable oils), and also reduces the absorption of excess sugars. 

For this reason, there is research that has proven that veganism can prevent certain inflammatory diseases.

Vit B12 vegan sources 

• Spirulina 
• Sprouted seeds
• Algae

These three are the most vegetal that bring vit B12 but its still  not enough. 

Let me recommend you delicious spirulina smoothie recipe, for those who want to take in a max of their Vit B12 needs : 

• 2 cups of pineapple 
• Cut it into chunks
• Half of a cucumber cut it into slices
• Handfull of kale
• Small piece of gigner 
• Juice of half of a lime ( you can also use lemon)
• 1 TSP of spirulina
• Half a cup of water 
• Put all these ingredients into a blender. And get your smoothie at the end. 

Nutritional value : 

For those who don’t know, spirulina is an algae that’s incredibly nutrient dense. In addition to B vitamins, it contains high levels of calcium, Iron, Potassium, magnesium. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant! It’s also rich in proteins, that’s why it’s very famous in vegan diet or plant-based diets. You can take this smoothie every morning with your breakfast!

Enjoy it! 

Is a vegan diet a good idea to lose weight? A dietician perspective 

Going vegan to lose weight is a good idea, as long as it is as short term as possible and not long term. 

Vegan will help us to lose weight since it is a hypocaloric diet, this is normal, but, at some point when the protein reserves in our body are depleted, it will lead to deficiencies, which are difficult to make up with long term supplements. 

In addition, we will have not only physical problems but also cerebral ones, since vitamin B12 is also very essential for the functioning of the nervous and psychological system.

So yes, it’s a good idea as long as it’s applied in a short term.

Is it possible to not lose weight with the vegan diet?

Yes! For some people who follow the vegan diet, may find it difficult to lose weight despite the restrictions that vegan exits, the reason is the protein!

You know that proteins of high biological value are the number 1 fat burner?

Here is why: To lose weight, our body has two essential hormones that are of a protein nature (glucagon and growth hormone), these are the most essential in weight loss, in some people and not all, especially those who have a slow metabolism, may have a deficit in the functioning of these two hormones responsible for the degradation of fat reserves, because of an intake of these proteins which must be animal.

How long should the vegan diet take?

For some people, veganism has no time limit, it’s for them a lifestyle , whether it’s for a religious reason, or a personal choice in trying to regain their physical & mental health.

There is very little research being done on veganism, and then we can tell you in this case to hear your body!

According to the Human Researchs Council organization, about 84% of vegans and vegetarians returned to eating meat after less than a year and some of them, in about 3 months. The reasons were different, but most of them are about frustration, since it is hard to leave the food habits you were born with, and to suddenly go back to a totally different diet.

If you haven’t seen any results, it’s time to consult your dietitian to prescribe a diet adapted to your situation, your biological balance and your taste preferences.  If it is possible to lose weight and regain your physical and mental health through a balanced and adequate diet, why not?

Will you lose muscles by following the vegan diet?

There is no loss of muscle mass if we manage to maintain the right amount of protein! This is where the real problem lies, because at first we think that we can maintain this amount through the intake of vegetable protein, but in the end and because of several inconveniences such as bloating caused by the fiber contained in cereals and legumes, and the large amount of legumes and cereals that we must eat per day to meet the needs of our body, all this is difficult. Therefore, our body won’t be able to find the necessary amount of proteins to build muscles.

Can a sportsman be vegan? 

It’s hard! Many athletes have already tried to maintain the amount of protein they need for their physical activity, but they were not always able to maintain it, simply because as I told you, animal proteins are much better absorbed by our body than vegetable proteins. So the athlete in this case must eat a lot of cereals and legumes to maintain the amount of protein he needs, so we will return to the same problem of muscle loss of athletes.

In this case his physical exercise is inefficient compared to his muscles! This doesn’t mean that his cardiovascular system won’t benefit, but I do mean that at the muscular level he won’t have all the beneficial effects that he could have if he used to eat meat.

How can a vegan diet affect woman’s body?

So as you know the major deficiency that the vegan diet can bring us is VitB12 and Iron!

Knowing that iron from animal origin is much better taken in by the body than vegetable iron.

And when we talk about the woman we have to think about the period of menstruation, and her periods, especially for women who have abundant periods. So this will lead to a loss without autonomous recovery through a diet rich in iron. Automatically the woman or any person who is vegan, needs twice as much iron as a person who eats meat.

So she has to double up on iron-rich foods just to provide the iron needs for her body which is difficult.

The breastfeeding woman: 

The breastfeeding woman is an even more sensitive person for the food since it is a person who needs even more of its needs: its needs in calcium, iron, folic acid.

Folic acid can normally be covered by a vegetable diet, but for calcium and iron, it is very important for the breastfeeding woman to eat a balanced diet, which must provide a sufficient quantity of vitamins, iron and calcium to promote the production of milk and ensure the production of milk necessary for the development of the baby.

Pregnant women: 

The vegan diet for pregnant women is strictly forbidden in some countries like Germany and Austria. This is not the case in the United States unfortunately.

It is not only risky for the woman but also for her baby!

The woman in this case must agree to expand her diet to prevent several nutritional risks for her and especially for her baby; such as deficiencies in vitamin D, vitamin B, calcium and iron!

 Know that it is necessary for non-vegan women to have supplements in iron and certain vitamins then there for women who are vegan must have indeed a well balanced diet in addition to the necessary supplements.

Iron-rich plants

The vegan source of iron includes: 

• Legumes especially: white beans, red lentils, split peas.
• Molasses
• Soy, Tofu, veggie burgers
• Enriched pasta and cereals
• Dried fruits
• Kiwi fruit, citrus fruit
• dark green, leafy vegetables
• quinoa

However, it’s necessary to know that these foods certainly contain iron, but this iron is badly taken up by our body compared to that of the animals, So a small tip, before consuming any type of these foods that I quoted to you, to help the absorption of iron, consume it by adding a source of vitamin C (orange, strawberries, lemon, bell pepper).

Indeed, vitamin C leads to a better absorption of iron when consumed together.

Is a vegan diet dangerous for kids?

Simply put, children, and especially teenagers, are victims of veganism.

Young children have in fact a Reference Daily Intake (RDI), which is a recommended nutritional requirement for children, depending on age and sex. This means that each child has particular and specific needs in macro and micronutrients. In the case of veganism, there will surely be deficits in certain essential nutrients, for the growth of children, especially PROTEINS, which are the first to be mentioned on the subject of kids.

Indeed the child is in FULL GROWTH: that is to say that it needs an essential nutrient which intervenes in the “manufacture”, the “construction” these two words which interests us more on the subject of development of the children. Since proteins play the role of a mason in the whole organism of the child. 

Now let’s talk about another macronutrient that is very essential for the brain development of the child, which is lipid.

So the child needs more lipids than the adult for the functioning and the cerebral development of the child, most importantly omega 3 and 6.

It is true that nuts and soy are very rich in omega 3 and 6, but the needs are up to 50% of the daily ration of children, which is still a lot and this is obtained by a varied and balanced diet.

Here is a list of the foods that are richest in animal and vegetable omegas 3:

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Sardines
• Swordfish
• Soybean oil
• Nuts
• Tuna
• Sea bream
• Scallops
• Mussels
• Avocado
• Butter

Calcium: Another very essential nutrient for a child’s bone and dental development.

During childhood, the child’s skeleton is in full development and growth, which requires the intervention of certain nutrients, especially calcium!

In this case, vegans turn to vegetable foods rich in calcium, however it is difficult to follow this strategy since as we all know children’s tastes are difficult and vegetables in particular are not generally accepted by children.

Thus, calcium equivalents show that milk and dairy products are the easiest way to cover the child’s calcium needs, and the amount of vegetables needed is difficult to reach or inaccessible.

It’s also important to note that some vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, rhubarb and whole grains, their calcium is poorly absorbed by the body since they contain oxalate. 

equivalents in terms of calcium: 

2 yoghurts = 30g of gruyere= 150g of almonds= 700g of cooked green vegetables = 1pound of cooked pulses.

Iron

Iron deficiency is very common among vegans, especially kids.

A young child has important needs in iron, simply because its deficiency induces to short term harmful consequences as for example; iron deficiency, lack of appetite, and especially there are approved researches which are made in the long term which declared that the lack of iron at the age of infant, can induce to a hyperactivity at the age of adolescence, and dysmenorrhea for the girls at the age of the puberty.

So let’s talk about the iron contained in plants! Yes there are plants that we have already mentioned above that contain iron, but we must not forget the absorption coefficient!

The absorption coefficient means the percentage of the body’s capacity to assimilate iron, so the iron that is very well taken in by our body is animal iron!

Vegetable milks for kids

Many parents think this is a good idea when in fact it’s quite the opposite!

It has been shown that these milks are not enriched with iron, and that they’re low in vitamins, especially vitamin K and D.

The consumption of these milks by infants leads to deficiencies in protein, calcium, zinc, and vitamin K and D, which can be responsible for edema and decreased immunity in children.

These complications have already been justified by several hospitalizations of this case, especially those who need a transfusion because of a deep anemia.

Therefore, I ask parents to be vigilant in this case and try not to require this type of food for your children especially during their full growth.

From the age of 18, after making sure that the development and growth of the child is finished, he is no longer a child, in this case he can enter little by little into vegan diet.

Which supplements should I take as vegan to insure my health?

As long as the vegan diet is not balanced and lacks many nutrients that are difficult to cover by a vegan diet alone, it is necessary to consult a doctor or your dietician to prescribe supplements for you, 

Omega 3:

is very important for the prevention of cardiovascular health, for the brain development of children and the mental health of adults, and prevention of eye health in babies.

Calcium: 

As I told you before, an elderly person or a child cannot live in calcium deficiency, it is very important for bone health. Calcium is also good for heart contraction and muscles in general.

Iron : 

Its benefits are already mentioned above, just don’t forget that it has a vital role, the transport of oxygen in the blood.

Be sure to provide your body with all the necessary vitamins: 

Vit B12: We have already talked a lot about these benefits and its vegetable source

Vitamin D:

For vitamin D, it is also essential, and there is almost no vegan source that brings vitamin D in sufficient quantity, this vitamin in fact works in collaboration with calcium, so if you have a lack of both (according to your biological balance) and you supplement only one (either vitamin D or calcium) it is almost useless. To activate the vit D in our body we need to expose ourselves to the sun after taking this vitamin, however wearing a lot of cloths can limit the process. 

Zinc:

I did not speak to you in this article about zinc, however there are some people who find it difficult to maintain the quantities of zinc that suits them which will induce them to zinc deficiency and then their biological balances will show that they need a zinc supplementation. 

Indeed, zinc plays a great role in the healing of wounds (scarring), and helps the immune system to fight viruses, which is why it is recommended in the period of covid-19.

Some plant foods are rich in zinc: 

• Legumes: lima beans
• Soy products: Tofu and fortified soy beverages.
• Nuts and grains
• Grain products: Wild rice, wheat germ.

Caution! Before choosing a supplement, be sure to check with your doctor, pediatrician, dietitian, or nutrition professional to find out how much you need.

Vegan VS vegetarian, what’s the best to you?

Both vegan and vegetarian do not consume meat and fish, but what is the difference between these two?

In fact, the vegan excludes from his diet everything that is of animal source, and eats only plants. On the other hand, the vegetarian eats plants, eggs and milk and dairy products but like the vegan never consumes meat or anything that comes from meat or fish.

So who does better?

In fact, eating vegan is not bad if you can control it, eating vegetarian is much better.

When we eat vegan, we deprive our body of several nutrients that must be present in the animal breed, which is the downside of a vegan diet.

On the other hand, when we eat vegetarian we get a little closer to a balanced diet, at least in this case we won’t prevent our children from taking their food that suits their growth which is milk or cheese. ! So by eating vegetarian I say “at least” we will provide a certain amount of animal protein which will be well assimilated to our body.

Also, a well-balanced vegan diet can provide the necessary nutrients for the body,

and if a balanced vegetarian diet is applied by a pregnant woman or those who breastfeed and even for a child, we are far from consensus of what is called veganism.

So a vegan diet by comparing it to vegetarian food is very complicated and exposes more risks of suffering from nutritional deficiencies.

So if you’re  looking for a better one, I recommend the one that is closer to physiology, vegetarianism. However, if your goal is to follow veganism for a short period of time only, and in order to lose weight, it is not bad as long as it does not exceed three months, and accompanied by supplements prescribed by your dietician.

Let’s wrap it up with some tips for maintaining a good vegan diet.

• Replace fish and meat with sufficient vegetable proteins (20 to 25g for a meal)
• Be careful with small children or infants and provide them with a mix of essential amino acids important for their growth.
• Make sure you provide your body with an adequate amount of calcium through calcium-enriched soy products.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Sometimes include fruit compotes because a lot of raw vegetables can harm your digestive system and may not be well tolerated, so eat cooked as well as raw.
• Coffee and tea are allowed, but please consume them 2 to 3 hours after meals because they limit the absorption of iron.

It is important to take supplements if necessary (you must verify by a biological check-up).

In the end, I want to tell you not to feel guilty, nor wrong, the most important thing here is to do what you want to do as long as it will not harm your physical and mental health.

In any case, no one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, and if you are a vegan under the supervision of a nutrition specialist, no one can stop you from doing what you want to do as long as it makes you feel good physically and mentally.