You could be forgiven for thinking that vegan diets are the healthiest of all.
It’s often touted as a healthier alternative to eating meat, but a new book claims many of the health “benefits” may be unfounded.
In The Great Plant-Based Con, author Jayne Buxton explains that there are many reasons why giving up meat and dairy could actually be detrimental to your health.
Not only are your risks of anemia and bone fractures higher, but you may also be at higher risk of stroke and kidney stones.
Jayne says: “We all believe it’s a good idea to give up animal foods like fish, eggs and dairy.
“Celebrities are doing it. Vegan restaurants have started popping up everywhere.”
American singer Lizzo and TV presenter Chris Packham are among the celebrities who follow a vegan diet and millions of people sign up to Veganuary every year.
Instead, Jayne says a whole-foods diet with plenty of fresh, seasonal plant and animal foods is better for your health.
Here, she shares eight reasons to think twice before going vegan.
THERE ARE MANY DEFICIENCIES
“Vitamin deficiency is one of the reasons I advise people against going vegan,” Jayne says.
“Vitamin B12 is essential for neurological and brain functioning.
“Most people know you can’t get it from plant-based foods and vegans will recommend taking supplements.”
But Jayne warns that relying on a supplement to make a diet healthy is a problem.
She says: “Rates of vitamin B12 deficiency in vegans are consistently higher than in omnivores.
“Vitamin B12 is not the only thing that is lacking.
“There are many other nutrients that are difficult to get in the right form from plant foods, including vitamins A, D3, K2 and iron. The list goes on and on.”
HAIR LOSS
“Hair loss is one of the most common reasons vegans give for returning to eating meat and other animal-based foods,” says Jayne.
She believes hair loss is almost certainly linked to a vitamin B12 or iron deficiency, adding: “If you’re not eating enough of the right foods or your body isn’t absorbing enough nutrients, it can lead to hair loss, even if you only have a mild deficiency.”
Bone fractures
A 2008 study found that vegans were more likely to suffer bone fractures.
After five years, vegans were, on average, 30% more likely to suffer a fracture than meat eaters.
The risk was the same if they took supplements.
Jayne says: “Without the amino acids and nutrients found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy, you risk having weak bones and muscles.”
ARTHRITIS AND KIDNEY STONES
Oxalates are “antinutrients” found in plant foods, including spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes.
Consuming large amounts of foods high in oxalates can cause kidney stones. Oxalates can build up in the joints, causing arthritic pain.
“We call this oxalate overload and it’s common in vegans who consume a lot of spinach and almond smoothies,” Jayne says.
MANY PLANT-BASED FOODS ARE ULTRA-PROCESSED
Nut milks, vegan cheeses, “fake meats” and other substitutes are not better for our health because they are heavily processed.
“We already eat a lot of processed food in the UK, around 60% of our food is processed,” says Jayne.
“But many of the vegan foods that have flooded the market are even worse.
“A vegan cream, for example, will be free of real dairy cream and will contain E numbers, additives, emulsifiers and flavourings added to give it the right flavour and texture.
“It doesn’t improve our diet, it deteriorates it.”
MEAT ISN’T ALL BAD
“Meat is very good when eaten in moderation, usually three or four times a week,” Jayne says.
“It provides essential nutrients for brain health and some evidence suggests it protects against heart disease.
“A 2021 study found that the Paleo diet, which includes meat, eggs, and fish, may have cardiovascular benefits, especially when it involves low consumption of ultra-processed foods.”
Jayne says studies linking meat to cancer are often poorly designed and based on “extremely weak data.”
According to Cancer Research UK, processed meat is a “definite” cause of cancer and red meat is a “probable” cause.
RELATED TO DEPRESSION
Growing evidence suggests that vegans may be at higher risk of mental illness.
A 2022 study surveyed 14,000 Brazilians and found that those who followed a vegan diet were twice as likely to be depressed.
Jayne says: “This is not surprising given that many nutrients important for mental health, such as DHA, iodine and vitamin B12, are very scarce in vegan diets.
. . . AND STROKE
Some studies show that vegetarian and vegan diets may protect against stroke, others the opposite.
A 2019 EPIC-Oxford study found that vegans had a higher risk of stroke than meat eaters.
Jayne adds: “In studies that show benefits from a vegan diet, the results may be due to reduced tobacco and alcohol consumption and other elements of a healthy lifestyle.”
- The Great Plant-Based Con: Why eating veggie-based diet won’t improve your health or save the planet, by Jayne Buxton (Piatkus) is out now.
“I was dizzy, nauseous and tired all the time.”
ENTREPRENEUR Viva O’Flynn, founder of cake-making company Love Viva Cakes and Crafts, has been vegan for ten years.
But she started eating animal foods again after suffering from dizziness, nausea and extreme fatigue.
Viva, 40, from Gloucester, says: “I thought I was helping the planet by giving up animal-based foods, even though I had always loved them.
“Almost immediately, I began to suffer from a lack of energy. I felt tired and very weak all the time. I did not take any dietary supplements, which probably did not help. I often felt dizzy, nauseous, and suffered from headaches and vertigo, as well as exhaustion.
“My body just wasn’t getting the energy it needed.
“My nails were also very brittle and kept breaking, and my skin was dull and dry.
“I was eating a lot of vegetables and processed vegan foods that I bought in the frozen food section of the supermarket.
“In the end I felt so bad that I went to see my GP.
“It was 2012 and he told me I had to start eating meat again.
“As soon as I did it, I started feeling like my normal self, I had a lot more energy and I looked better than before.
“I will never go back to being vegan.”