Adopting a vegan diet could not only help you lose weight and eat more vegetables, but it could also reduce your biological age.
In a move that is likely to encourage people to make the switch, researchers at Stanford University in California found that volunteers who ate plant-based foods for just eight weeks showed fewer signs of aging compared to those who stuck to their normal diet.
While there are many benefits to eating more vegetables and cutting back on foods like red meat in general, going completely vegan is not without potential health risks.
Vegans risk missing out on many essential nutrients, such as calcium, iron and vitamin B12, which are abundant in an omnivorous diet, when they switch entirely to plant-based foods, the NHS warns.
Failure to consume it can lead to problems such as fatigue, dizziness, heart palpitations and even brittle bones.
Here, MailOnline details some of the potential hidden health costs of going vegan and what you can do to avoid them.
You could limit your vitamin B12 intake…
Lack of vitamin B12 is one of the well-known pitfalls of veganism.
Vitamin B12 is necessary for maintaining healthy blood and a healthy nervous system.
It’s found abundantly in meat, fish and dairy, meaning most people don’t need to worry about it, but vegans may be at risk of deficiency.
People who have a vitamin B12 deficiency or underdeveloped, larger than normal red blood cells. The medical term for this is megaloblastic anaemia, according to the NHS.
This can cause feeling weak or tired, shortness of breath, headache, loss of appetite, vision problems, and cognitive changes, such as memory problems.
Vegans have limited options when it comes to sources of vitamin B12, but breakfast cereals and unsweetened soya drinks fortified with the vitamin are a good source, says the NHS.
Eating Marmite or other yeast extracts and nutritional yeast flakes are also a good way to get vitamin B12, as they are both fortified.
Vegan Omega-3s May Not Reduce Heart Disease…
Found in oily fish, such as mackerel and salmon, omega-3s are known to maintain a healthy heart and reduce the risk of heart disease.
In fact, the NHS suggests we should eat at least one portion of oily fish a week, at around 140g per portion, to ensure we reap the benefits,
But with a vegan diet, it can be much more difficult.
The NHS warns that plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids may not have the same benefits in reducing the risk of heart disease as those found in oily fish.
But there are a few vegan-friendly sources of omega-3 that can contribute to a balanced diet.
Flaxseeds and vegetable oil, chia seeds, hulled hemp seeds and walnuts are all sources of omega-3s.
However, not eating too much salt and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can also help your overall heart health.
Make sure to eat your greens for healthy bones…
Adopting a vegan diet means giving up milk, cheese and yogurt, all of which are good sources of calcium.
Essential for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, a lack of calcium can lead to rickets in children, which results in weak, brittle bones, and osteoporosis later in life, a disease that weakens bones.
According to the NHS, adults need 700mg of calcium a day, which is roughly the amount in 100g of cheddar cheese.
Typically, people get most of the calcium they need from dairy products, but there are still good sources of calcium for vegans.
Leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, are a good source of calcium.
But you will have to eat a large amount to reach your daily intake because in 100 g of broccoli there is only 47 mg of calcium.
Other plant-based foods rich in calcium include fortified unsweetened soy, pea and oat beverages and tofu, which contains 350 mg per 100 g.
The NHS also suggests vegans eat sesame seeds, tahini and legumes to increase your calcium intake.
In the UK, bread will also help you maintain healthy calcium levels, as calcium is added to white and brown flour by law to increase the population’s overall intake.
Eating dried fruits, such as raisins, prunes, figs and dried apricots, is not only part of your five daily fruits and vegetables, but is also an excellent source of calcium.
But the NHS warns that dried fruit should be eaten at mealtimes, not as a snack between meals, to reduce the impact of sugar on teeth.
Plant-based iron to prevent anemia…
Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells.
If you don’t get enough iron, you may develop anemia.
Fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, paler than usual skin and headaches are all telltale signs of iron deficiency.
Although a vegan diet can be rich in iron, the iron in plant foods is not absorbed by the body as well as the iron in meat, so eating the right foods is essential.
The British Dietician Association advises vegans to consume foods or drinks containing vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron from plant sources more easily.
Examples of foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, fresh or juiced, strawberries, peppers, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes.
According to the NHS, men aged 19 and women over 50 need 8.7mg of iron per day and women who menstruate between the ages of 19 and 49 need around 14.8mg per day.
For comparison, ground beef contains about 5.8 mg per 160 g serving and lentils contain 4.9 mg per 125 g serving.
According to the NHS, pulses, wholemeal bread, fortified breakfast cereals, leafy green vegetables, nuts and dried fruit are all good sources of iron.
Meatless doesn’t mean healthy…
Packed with fat, salt and sugar, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have long been criticized for increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
And plant-based UPFs are no better.
Vegan burgers, sausage rolls and breaded ‘chicken’, while good sources of protein, are widely considered to be UPF.
By definition, UPFs are foods that have undergone various modifications to extend their shelf life or make them more appealing to the consumer, or sometimes both.
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An easy sign that a food might be a UPF is if it contains ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen cupboard, product critics say, such as unrecognizable dyes, sweeteners and preservatives.
Another clue is the amount of fat, salt and sugar in each packet, with UPFs often containing large amounts.
When choosing convenient vegan meals, it’s best to avoid foods covered in batter or breadcrumbs, which are often high in saturated fat.
For example, a Greggs vegan sausage roll contains 18g of fat, 8.7g of saturated fat and 1.8g of salt.
“I think most people assume that all plant-based food options are healthy, but many can be high in salt, sugar and saturated fat in the same way as animal products,” Dr Duane Mellor, dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, previously told MailOnline.
“You can also check the front of pack label to see how much salt, sugar and saturated fat is in the product, to help you make a healthy food choice,” he added.
Any food containing more than 5g of heart-harming saturated fat is considered “high in saturated fat” and should be eaten in moderation.
This is because too much saturated fat in your diet can lead to heart disease.
The NHS advises men not to eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day and women not to eat more than 20g.