The dangerous side effects of plant-based diet that no one told you about | The Times of India (2024)

FAQs

Why you shouldn't eat a plant-based diet? ›

Becoming a vegan or vegetarian can make it difficult to get certain nutrients found in animal products, such as vitamins B12 and D, and people who eliminate meat often replace it with foods that may limit the nutritional benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.

While a well-balanced plant-based diet can provide a wide range of nutrients, certain essential nutrients are more abundant in animal-derived foods. Plant-based diets can sometimes lead to nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

As you read along, you'll find out that most health conditions developed by vegans are related to vitamin B12 deficiency. Without the familiar sources of vitamin B12, certain bodily functions can be disrupted, leading to anemia, gastritis, stroke, Crohn's disease, and Celiac disease.

Cons: May Miss Out On Nutrients: While plant-based foods contain many nutrients, cutting out all animal products may lead you to miss out on a few. Some nutrients like creatine, omega-3s and vitamin B12, are only found in animal products. Getting enough protein may also be challenging, but it is still possible.

Another study found a 12% lower risk, but while research published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition agreed that a vegan diet can lower rates of certain chronic diseases, it did not find evidence that veganism led to a longer life.

Eggs can and should be part of a plant-based diet, and these five suggestions showcase how easy it is to incorporate the incredible egg into your plant-forward dishes.

New research shows most plant-based meat alternatives are high in sugar and low in fortified micronutrients. Plant-based meat alternatives have a higher sugar content than traditional meat.

Common examples of natural toxins in food plants include lectins in beans such as green beans, red kidney beans and white kidney beans; cyanogenic glycosides in bitter apricot seed, bamboo shoots, cassava, and flaxseeds; glycoalkaloids in potatoes; 4'-methoxypyridoxine in ginkgo seeds; colchicine in fresh lily flowers; ...

One of the most prominent criticisms of a vegan diet is its potential for protein deficiency. While it's true that plant-based sources of protein may not always provide all essential amino acids in optimal ratios, it is entirely possible to meet protein needs on a vegan diet with careful planning.

What happens to your body when you only eat plant-based food? ›

Vegetarian diets have also been shown to support health, including a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and increased longevity.

People with chronic alcohol addiction or conditions such as cancer, Crohn's disease, diabetes, and celiac disease are also more at risk of being deficient in zinc. If you have been diagnosed with a zinc deficiency, cutting out animal products could negatively impact your health.

Plant-based diets carry some risk of inadequate protein, vitamin, and mineral intake. But these risks are readily overcome by choosing the right vegetarian foods and, when necessary, supplements. For example, soy, quinoa, and nuts are good sources of protein, and tofu, lentils, and spinach are good sources of iron.

an unhealthful plant-based diet that emphasized consumption of less healthy plant foods, such as fruit juices, refined grains (pasta, white rice, and processed breads and cereals), potatoes (French fries and potato chips), and sugar-sweetened beverages, while reducing the intake of healthy plant foods as well as animal ...

As vegan diets do not include animal products, vitamin B12 deficiencies may occur. A cross-sectional analysis of participants with omnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan diets found that about half of the 232 vegan participants had vitamin B12 deficiencies.

Yes. A plant-based diet is considered to be nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a very healthy way of eating and can meet all of your nutrient needs.

A properly planned vegan diet that includes as many whole plant foods as possible is not only healthy for humans, but it's what we were designed by evolution to eat. Even the NIH clearly and emphatically asserts: humans are herbivores.

It's hard to name a food better for you than vegetables. Packed with fiber, micronutrients, and antioxidants, veggies are the ultimate health food. Research associates eating more vegetables with less weight gain, reduced markers of heart disease, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes.