10+ Vegan Diet Dangers (Plus Signs to Watch Out For)
Before you think about going vegan, learn about ten potential dangers and health risks that can result from a plant-based diet. You need to know about the increased risks of nutrient deficiency and disease, including one risk that is irreversible. I’ve also included a list of signs of an unhealthy vegan diet so you know what to watch out for.
Have you ever wondered if a vegan or plant-based diet would help you manage your weight and resolve any nagging health problems? That’s the promise that is often made around this trend.
But, you hear less about the health problems that can occur from a strict plant-based diet that excludes all animal products. This article includes ten reasons that may dispel the myth that veganism is the healthiest diet and works for everyone.
I’ve also included some suggestions for how to counter these potential health risks of a vegan diet.
What Is a Vegan Diet?
What is a vegan diet? Simple put, a vegan diet is one that excludes any food that comes from an animal. This includes eggs, dairy, meat, fish, poultry, and even honey.
Some people take a vegan diet even further and embrace it as a lifestyle, and will not purchase or use any clothing or personal care products that include animal-based ingredients.
Whole foods, plant-based diets
A “whole foods, plant-based diet” is more often the term used for an approach that includes fewer processed foods, and a greater emphasis on fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds.
However, even that term can get confusing as paleo diets are considered to be a plant-based approach, but they do include animal products.
Learn more about the differences between clean eating, paleo, vegan, keto, and Whole30 diets or the differences between vegan and vegetarians.
What vegans eat
If a vegan or plant-based diet does not include any animal products, then what does it include?
Vegans can eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, soy, legumes (beans), nuts, and seeds.
A vegan diet doesn’t necessarily means it’s healthy, though, since it by definition does not exclude a lot of processed foods, sugar, or gluten.
Just look at the popularity of fake meats which are incredibly processed and not necessarily healthy by any stretch of the imagination. See my related article on the potential dangers of plant-based meats.
The healthiest vegan diet is likely a plant-based diet that also is one of the best diets for climate change.
A vegan diet is an extreme diet
Although some people may thrive on a vegan or plant-based diet, it should be noted that it is considered an extreme diet because of how many foods it excludes, as well as the potential for nutritional deficiencies.
This article includes ten real problems with a plant-based diet, including my experience as a woman whose health declined as a result of being on a strict vegan diet.
If you are 100% committed to eating a vegan diet but you are always feeling tired, you might also want to read my article with tips for how to reverse fatigue on a vegan diet.
This article includes links to scientific studies whenever possible.
However, some of these potential diet dangers are anecdotal and not based on human studies. So, as always, it’s important that you consult your healthcare provider to help determine what type of diet is best for you.
Ten Potential Vegan Diet Dangers
Please note, my intent with this article is not to discredit any of the benefits that can result from eating more plant foods, but to provide cautionary evidence of what can happen if a vegan diet is taken too far and warning signs are ignored.
1. Risk of anemia due to a lack of heme iron
Iron-deficient anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, and both vegans and vegetarians are at higher risk of this condition.
While plant foods contain a form of iron, it is called non-heme iron and it is much less absorbable by the body.
Iron-deficient anemia can lead to serious symptoms including fatigue, and women of child-bearing age should be aware of how a vegan or vegetarian diet can quickly lead to anemia.
See my related post on how to eat to support your menstrual cycle.
While iron supplements can be taken to help reverse or prevent anemia, most women dislike taking iron supplements because potential negative side effects including constipation. It can also be difficult to take enough iron supplements to overcome anemia, especially without eating animal sources of iron.
See my list of the best vitamins for women over 30 or the best vitamins for a teenage girl which include iron to help boost ferritin levels.
You may also want to consider adding cricket protein to your diet. While eating insects is not normally accepted in a vegan diet, it may be a lower-impact way of adding animal protein back into your diet without eating animals like cows, fish, or chicken.
Having your ferritin levels checked regularly if you are a woman of child-bearing age is essential to ensure you don’t become anemic on a plant-based diet. See my article on how to order lab tests without a doctor.
You may also want to consider cooking with a cast iron pan (see my list of the safest cookware material).
Eating therapeutic meat
If you cannot raise your iron levels on a plant-based diet and you are at your wits end, you may consider something called eating “therapeutic meat.” The idea is that you eat just enough meat to raise your iron levels and then go back to a non-meat lifestyle.
This is a practice that is becoming more popular and may be something to consider. It is similar to getting a religious exception to eat certain foods not usually allowed in that religion unless you are sick or elderly.
2. Increased risk of depression with low omega-3 fatty acid intake
Without a food source of omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oils and an increased consumption of omega-6 fatty acid from foods like nuts, vegans might be at higher risk from depression.
Algae-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids are an option, but they can be expensive and hard to find. And, since many vegan diets may include a higher than average intake of nuts, the balance of fatty acids in the body can still get off-balance.
There are issues associated with low omega-3 levels and some are quite serious. Pregnant women also need to be extremely aware of their omega-3 intake as the fatty acids help nourish the fetal brain development.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be tested through a blood test, and should be monitored if you start experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety. Please do contact a healthcare professional as soon as you think you might be depressed, as you don’t want the symptoms to get worse.
Once you have your levels tested, you can use algae-based omega-3 supplements to help increase your levels. In the worst case scenarios, you can consider taking a fish oil supplement to get your levels stabilized.
You may also want to consider the best magnesium supplements to help with anxiety.
3. Risk of Vitamin B12 deficiency
Since vitamin B12 is only available in animal foods, vegans are at a much higher risk of developing a deficiency in this vital nutrient.
In fact, most nutrition professionals agree that those on a vegan or vegetarian diet must supplement with a high-quality vitamin B12 supplement to avoid irreversible health conditions that can result from deficiency.
It should also be noted that many people have a genetic variation known as MTHFR that can impact how B vitamins are absorbed. In this case, even certain B vitamin supplementation might not be enough to prevent a deficiency.
Read more about the best MTHFR diet and supplements.
If you are at all concerned that you aren’t getting enough vitamin B12 in your diet, then ask your doctor for a vitamin B12 test.
If it turns out you are low in vitamin B12, then you may need to get an injection or use sublingual supplements, plus have your levels monitored regularly.
You may also need to monitor your intake of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B3 (niacin), as these can also be lower on a vegan diet.
4. Inhibition of zinc absorption on vegan and vegetarian diets
Similarly to deficiencies that can occur with vitamin B12, vegan and vegetarian diets can result in low zinc status.
It is theorized that the problem in this case is that higher consumption of plant foods containing phytic acid may inhibit the ability of the body to absorb zinc.
Because of this potential issue with zinc absorption, it is often recommended by nutrition professionals that vegans and vegetarians should increase their intake of zinc up to 50% of the recommended daily allowance to ensure adequate levels.
Good zinc levels are really important for boosting the immune system so it’s important to make sure you’re eating enough food sources of zinc or that you take a zinc supplement.
Plant-based sources of zinc are not as bioavailable as animal sources, so make sure you are getting enough from food sources or from supplements. Be careful with zinc, though, as you don’t want to take too much.
5. Low intake of iodine
Without quality sources of seafood, there is a real risk of not getting enough iodine in both vegan and vegetarian diets.
Iodine deficiency is problematic and can lead to hypothyroidism and other complications.
Vegans and vegetarians can supplement with iodine by using iodized salt or eating seaweed products. But, deficiencies still persist.
6. Not consuming enough calcium
Another nutrient deficiency that can occur with dairy-free, vegan, and plant-based diets is calcium deficiency.
While you can get calcium from plant-based foods, there is generally less calcium than in dairy products. And, plant foods often contain phytates and oxalates than inhibit the absorption of calcium.
A long-term risk of inadequate calcium intake is an increased risk of bone fractures.
If you cannot or do not want to consume dairy products, be sure you are taking a calcium supplement or consuming fortified plant-based milks.
7. Risk of consuming too much carbohydrate
Vegan diets are generally lower in protein and can cause blood sugar swings in certain individuals. There is also the risk of over-consuming carbohydrates on a vegan diet, especially since legumes are often consumed as a protein source, but are very high in carbohydrates.
Vegans may also replace the calories from protein sources with refined carbohydrates including bread, crackers, and cookies.
Over-consuming carbohydrates can lead to non-alchoholic fatty liver disease, blood sugar disregulation, and other troublesome symptoms. See my articles on how to follow a sugar-free diet and how to do a sugar detox.
You may also need to consider eating more complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes as opposed to eating simple carbohydrates like crackers or bread.
You may also want to check out this article on the best gluten-free carbohydrates if you are unsure about which ones you should be eating.
8. Not eating enough high-quality protein
Eating a diet that includes moderate to higher levels of protein has been shown to have a positive effect on satiety and weight management. It can be harder to find quality sources of protein on a vegan diet that aren’t also carbohydrate sources (like beans) or are soy-based.
Without a quality source of lean protein in the diet, vegans may experience fatigue or low exercise tolerance. If that is the case, you may need to consider adding protein powder to your diet.
See my list of the best clean protein powders.
One risk of not eating enough protein is sarcopenia, or muscle wasting. This may be particularly true for older adults who are on vegan diets.
9. Risk of disordered eating
Orthorexia is a type of eating disorder that is defined by an over-fixation on healthy eating patterns. It can result in over-restriction, obsession, and other serious eating disorders.
At least one study found that vegans and vegetarians tended to display more orthorexic eating patterns, and most eating disorder specialists do not recommend restrictive diets such as veganism or vegetarianism for people trying to recover from an eating disorder such as orthorexia.
Read more about orthorexia and food obsession.
If you find that your eating disorder is getting worse on a vegan or plant-based diet, then you should consider working with a qualified therapist to help work on increasing your body weight.
In the worst case scenario, your therapist may advise you to consider moving away from a vegan diet while you repair your relationship with food.
You may also need to consider eating more calorie-dense foods if you are recovering from an eating disorder. See my 1,000 Calorie Weight Gain Smoothie or my list of the best Weight Gain Smoothies for recipe inspiration.
10. Processed soy issues
Again, as a result of excluding all forms of animal protein, many vegans turn to soy as a protein source.
While unprocessed forms of soy may be okay for some people, processed forms of soy are commonly found in a vegan diet, including tofu, soy milk, and soy-based processed foods sold as meat substitutes.
Processed soy foods are no better for human health than any other highly-processed foods, but with the added risk of hormone interference due to phytoestrogens found in all forms of soy.
Soy has also been found to be a contributor to the intake of the toxic metal cadmium in vegans and vegetarians.
Read more about the potential dangers of eating soy.
To help counteract or avoid any negative results from eating too much soy, you may consider eating fermented soy sources such as tempeh, or limiting your soy consumption to several times a week. You may also wish to avoid non-organic forms of soy which can be a source of GMOs in the diet.
If you do choose to consume soy, try making healthy recipe as opposed to buying processed versions. I recommend my Air Fryer Tofu as a great option.
Additional health risks associated with veganism
While some of the health risks of a vegan diet are outlined above, this list is not complete.
There are other risks of a plant-based diet including becoming isolated from friends and family due to an extremely restricted diet, the risk of eating too many high histamine foods and developing histamine intolerance, the risk of triggering a gluten intolerance when consuming too many gluten-containing foods, and other risks including inadequate intake of vitamin D.
The bottom line is that a vegan diet is not natural for humans and most cannot stick with it (up to 84% of vegans and vegetarians end up eating meat again).
While it can be used on a short-term basis for weight loss or for other health reasons, it may result in significant nutritional deficiencies over the long term as well as other risks including eating disorders and isolation.
This is especially true if a vegan is not taking supplements and is not being closely monitored by a healthcare professional with regular blood work.
Signs of an Unhealthy Vegan Diet
An unhealthy vegan diet, like any poorly planned diet, can lead to various nutritional deficiencies and health issues such as the ones mentioned above.
Still, you may not know if your vegan diet is letting you down until you start experiencing symptoms or signs of deficiency. Here are some signs that a vegan might not be getting a balanced diet:
- Fatigue and Weakness: This can be a sign of iron deficiency anemia, common in those not consuming enough iron-rich plant foods or vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption.
- Poor Skin Health: Dry, pale, or bruised skin might indicate deficiencies in vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc.
- Hair Loss and Brittle Nails: This can result from inadequate protein intake or deficiencies in vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.
- Dental Issues: Problems like bleeding gums can be a sign of vitamin C deficiency, while weak enamel might indicate a lack of vitamin D.
- Digestive Problems: Persistent digestive issues may be due to a lack of dietary fiber, often found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, or from overconsumption of processed vegan foods low in fiber.
- Mood Changes and Cognitive Problems: Deficiencies in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and iron can affect mental health, leading to issues like depression, anxiety, or difficulty concentrating.
- Frequent Illnesses or Slow Healing: This might indicate a weak immune system, possibly due to deficiencies in essential nutrients like zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D.
- Unintended Weight Changes: Sudden weight loss might result from not consuming enough calories, while weight gain might occur from over-reliance on processed vegan foods high in sugar and fat.
- Bone or Joint Pain: This could indicate a deficiency in vitamin D or calcium, both crucial for bone health.
- Irregular Menstrual Cycles in Women: This can be caused by low body weight, high physical stress, or insufficient intake of essential fats and other nutrients.
It’s important to note that these symptoms can be caused by a variety of factors and may not necessarily be due to diet alone. A well-planned vegan diet can be healthy and nutritious, but it requires careful planning to ensure all nutritional needs are met.
I highly recommend consulting with a functional medicine practitioner who can help do the necessary lab testing and analysis to figure out the individualized diet appropriate for your needs.
My Experience
Most of you know me as creator of the Clean Eating Kitchen website.
I have a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition, but I’m also a woman on a healing journey, looking to find more natural and holistic ways to feel better and recover from health issues resulting from decades of eating a Standard America Diet (you can read more about me).
My introduction to veganism
Back in 2010, I had a friend who had gone on a vegan diet because she no longer wanted to eat animals (usually referred to as an ethical vegan). This was my first exposure to a vegan diet.
I then saw Oprah interview Alicia Silverstone about her book The Kind Diet and was even more curious about the purported health benefits of going vegan.
I got a copy of the book and was smitten with the idea that cutting out animal foods could potentially fix all the health problems that I was having, especially the inability to manage my weight that I learned years later was a result of undiagnosed thyroid disease.
My experience being vegan and then moving away from veganism
The first year on a vegan diet was okay. I had a hard time giving up some of my favorite foods, especially dairy yogurt and eggs. I didn’t lose any weight going vegan, but I had reduced acne outbreaks once I stopped eating dairy (I am still dairy-free).
About one year into my vegan diet experiment, I started experiencing an outbreak of hives after eating. The hives were intense. One morning my eyelid was swollen shut. I thought perhaps gluten might be the issue, so I also then cut out gluten (I am also still gluten-free).
Around that time, I also came across a more extreme version of veganism, one that cuts out all oils, processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar. I thought maybe, just maybe, that I had found the answer to losing weight and feeling good.
One thing led to another and I was eventually diagnosed with severe Hashimoto’s disease and then thyroid cancer in 2012. My world came crashing down. At the time, I had been following this extreme form of veganism for almost two years and thought I was supposed to be protected from such a terrible diagnosis.
I continued on the vegan path even after my diagnosis and treatment, thinking if I just tried harder or got more restrictive, then I would be healthy. My diet got more and more restricted and I felt an eating disorder mindset start to consume me. I was always hungry, yet I wouldn’t allow myself to eat the foods that would nourish and heal me.
Finally, after careful thought and lots of fretting, I decided to stop being vegan. I wrote a blog post about not being vegan anymore and lost a lot of friends over my decision (that blog post has over 500 comments on it).
Once I was immersed into the vegan culture, it made it that much more difficult to mentally make that mental shift of eating meat again. I experienced bullying and shaming when I wrote publicly about my decision.
Ultimately, I consulted with a dietitian, an eating disorder specialist, and functional medicine practitioners to recover my health and a balanced relationship with food.
At this point, I now have a much more balanced relationship with food, and I follow a clean eating diet full of real, whole foods. I eat a mostly gluten-free, dairy-free diet to manage my autoimmune conditions. I consume animal products, although I am very careful to try and choose wild, pasture-raised, organic, and local options whenever possible.
Overall, my energy levels are much more consistent and I don’t have the blood sugar swings that I had while I was eating a plant-based diet. My lab work shows that I have much higher levels of iron than I had while I was vegan, and overall I feel so much better.
FAQs About Vegan Health Risks
There are risks of nutritional deficiencies, as well as a risk of exacerbating or initiation of disordered eating patterns. Please contact your healthcare provider to determine which is the best diet plan for you, and how you may adapt a plant-based diet to best meet your individual needs.
There are certainly healthy aspects of a vegan or plant-based diet, as long as you are aware of the potential risks. And, as with any diet plan, if you determine it is not meeting your needs, you have the right to change your mind.
It all depends on the individual. But, there are enough significant risks on a vegan diet that you may want to consult with your healthcare provider to determine which diet is best for you.
It is also worth noting that you are allowed to try a vegan diet and you are also allowed to not eat a vegan diet. Your health and well-being is more important than sticking to a set of rules created by someone else.
Problems with a plant-based diet are similar or the same as the problems with a vegan diet. The bottom line is that both vegan and plant-based diets are very restrictive and may create problems over time, including nutrient deficiencies and restricted eating patterns.
Conclusions
Certainly, not everyone has a negative experience on a vegan diet.
There are plenty of people who would benefit great from adopting certain aspects of veganism, including incorporating more vegetables into the diet, and understanding the importance of not purchasing or consuming factory-raised meat.
See my clean eating food list for inspiration and a guide. You might also like this article on the best multivitamin for a women in 30s.
I eat a lot of vegan foods and still create a lot of vegan recipes, especially since I’m gluten-free and dairy-free to manage my autoimmune-related inflammation. I try to eat a variety of plant foods, while including animal protein with most of my meals.
The bottom line is that it’s important to be aware of the risks of extreme diets and any quick-fix approach to health. Based on my experience and exposure to the scientific literature on nutrition, a balanced diet including varying ratios of all of the macronutrients, will most often provide long-term benefits and a reduction of risk of nutritional deficiencies.
Please feel free to leave thoughtful comments that add to the conversation. If you’re looking to bash me for my dietary choices, then don’t waste your time. See my comment policy if you don’t see your comment published.
If you are upset about the plight of factory farm animals, then know that I am concerned about that as well. If you have ideas about how to educate the general public about choosing better sources of food, then I would be very curious to know how we can do that together.
Read Next: Tips on How to Reintroduce Meat After Being Vegan or Vegetarian
More Articles About Veganism & Diet You Might Like
References
- James H. O’Keefe, Evan L. O’Keefe, Carl J. Lavie, Loren Cordain, Debunking the vegan myth: The case for a plant-forward omnivorous whole-foods diet, Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, Volume 74, 2022, Pages 2-8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033062022000834
- Freed DLJ. Do dietary lectins cause disease? : The evidence is suggestive—and raises interesting possibilities for treatment. BMJ : British Medical Journal. 1999;318(7190):1023-1024 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1115436/
- Rizzo G, Baroni L. Soy, Soy Foods and Their Role in Vegetarian Diets. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):43. doi:10.3390/nu10010043. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793271/
- Hibbeln JR, Northstone K, Evans J, Golding J. Vegetarian diets and depressive symptoms among men. J Affect Disord. 2018 Jan 1;225:13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.051. Epub 2017 Jul 28. PubMed PMID: 28777971. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032716323916
- Pawlak R, Parrott SJ, Raj S, Cullum-Dugan D, Lucus D. How prevalent is vitamin B(12) deficiency among vegetarians? Nutr Rev. 2013 Feb;71(2):110-7. doi: 10.1111/nure.12001. Epub 2013 Jan 2. Review. PubMed PMID: 23356638. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23356638/
- Foster M, Chu A, Petocz P, Samman S. Effect of vegetarian diets on zinc status: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in humans. J Sci Food Agric. 2013 Aug 15;93(10):2362-71. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.6179. Epub 2013 May 29. Review. PubMed PMID: 23595983. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23595983
- Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Lemmens SG, Westerterp KR. Dietary protein – its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 2:S105-12. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002589. Review. PubMed PMID: 23107521. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23107521
- Barthels F, Meyer F, Pietrowsky R. Orthorexic and restrained eating behaviour in vegans, vegetarians, and individuals on a diet. Eat Weight Disord. 2018 Apr;23(2):159-166. doi: 10.1007/s40519-018-0479-0. Epub 2018 Feb 3. PubMed PMID: 29397564. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29397564.
- Dagnelie PC. [Nutrition and health–potential health benefits and risks of vegetarianism and limited consumption of meat in the Netherlands]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2003 Jul 5;147(27):1308-13. Review. Dutch. PubMed PMID: 12868158. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12868158
- Key TJ, Appleby PN, Rosell MS. Health effects of vegetarian and vegan diets. Proc Nutr Soc. 2006 Feb;65(1):35-41. Review. PubMed PMID: 16441942.
- Simpson JL, Bailey LB, Pietrzik K, Shane B, Holzgreve W. Micronutrients and women of reproductive potential: required dietary intake and consequences of dietary deficiency or excess. Part I–Folate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2010 Dec;23(12):1323-43. doi: 10.3109/14767051003678234. Epub 2010 Apr 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 20373888. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/14767051003678234?journalCode=ijmf20
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is studying to be a holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.
Note: this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for recommendations related to your individual situation.
Very good article, thanks. It is interesting that all of our bodies are so different. In two weeks I will be one year into a whole food plant protein based diet. I refrain from using the word “vegan” which implies my diet is about targeting food for avoidance. Instead, it is about food I’m targeting every day which is basically Dr. Greger’s daily dozen check list.
I made this change due to high cholesterol and blood pressure and came across the documentary “Forks over Knives.” I have had two biometric blood tests completed since the change with the first one being really good and the last one 3 months ago being exceptional. My cholesterol numbers are amazing, cardiac risk is now >. 05, and my blood pressure is normal. Overall, my health has improved with no more digestive problems or acid reflux. I have had zero painful inflammatory flare ups from the degenerated disc in my neck which normally occurred 3 or 4 times a year.
I can’t say I have super powers, an unlimited supply of energy or an improved brilliant mind but overall I do feel better and my biometric numbers are like night and day. I’m glad you were able to get things figured out and were able to get yourself healthy again.
Thanks for sharing that, Marty, and best wishes for continued good health!
An excellent read, thank you for publishing this useful information and all the fascinating references.
p.s. The friends you lost in the process of abandoning veganism weren’t real friends… judgemental acquaintances might be more appropriate description.
Thanks, Mark! Yes, I agree. The people who I thought were my friends actually were not. It was a hard lesson for me. The good news is that I’ve learned to separate my identity from what I eat, and to make real friends who really don’t care what I eat or don’t eat. 🙂
Very thankful I came across your website Carrie, and the opportunity to make some comments. I have been eating a whole food plant based diet for 10 months, excluding all dairy, meat, fish and oils. I started this as I had a heart scare a few years ago and resisted taking cholesterol lowering medication. At a check-up last year, I was advised – yet again – to begin a statin, and this time I did my research and decided to embark on this new way of eating, based around the book “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” and the teachings of the whole food plant based movement in America. I lost weight on this regimen and recently came off my blood pressure medication after 18 years (under the supervision of my doctor). I certainly felt better and it was great to get down to a healthy weight. I made sure I had regular blood tests and took a B12 supplement regularly. However over the past few months, I felt my energy levels were not as good as they should be, and I developed a hive-like rash under my arms which nearly drove me crazy! I put this down to drinking quite a lot of soy milk. I then had this awful sensation in my mouth and my gums, with my lips splitting and feeling like my tongue and lips were about to “pop”. I had a raft of blood tests (which were all normal), but my doctor suggested a vitamin B and C deficiency. Again I did my research and indeed, this seemed to be the case. I have been on supplementation for the past few days and the symptoms are easing. I am seriously considering how this way of eating has impacted my health, and at nearly 70, I cannot afford to mess it up! I felt I had been extremely well informed, conscientious and diligent in eating a balanced vegan-based diet, but it has been a very challenging, socially isolating and lonely journey so I feel a bit disappointed. Thanks again for any advice and support.
Hi Judy, thank you for your note and I’m sorry to hear you’ve had issues. I would suggest working with a functional medicine practitioner who can help you identify food sensitivities. I learned that I am sensitive to soy and most legumes, so a vegan diet was out for me. I have since moved to continuing to eat a lot of plants, but adding in animal protein to have a more balanced diet. Don’t let anyone scare you. Humans evolved eating animal protein and for some people, that’s what we need to feel good. I can’t eat eggs, but I have no reaction to poultry, fish, or beef. Also, social isolation is real thing and will negatively impact your health. Does this help at all? I’m not a doctor, but I am sending empathy for what you’re going through.
Thanks Carrie for your quick and helpful response. I don’t seem to have sensitivities to any other foods, just the soy milk – if that indeed was what it was – as the problem resolved after stopping it. I did get a bit scared by the literature and websites into doing such a strict regimen, but am working through that and now know that nothing terrible is going to happen to me if I relax and enjoy eating what makes me and my body happy. Will still continue to eat lots of plant based foods but will slowly add in some animal products.
I’ve been vegetarian for 10 years. 98 percent of the time it was a vegan diet, I only consume milk chocolate around Halloween and Christmas, and I let honey slip past me two times by not paying attention to the bread ingredients.
I don’t claim to be a nutritionist or doctor, but I’ve probably studied the vegan diet benefits and dangers more than most doctors and nutritionists out there. I have not had any issues abstaining from animal products, on the contrary I’ve had better cognitive clarity ever since. One thing that I must say is vital if you tend to eat a lot of junk food like me (potato chips, corn chips, faux meats, vegan ice cream, etc.) is to make sure you take vegan B12, Omega3, and D3 supplements. But, I do not endorse the vegan junk food route. Despite me being 40 years old and everyone usually guessing by my looks that I’m 26-32 years old, I believe this is genetics and not food related. I typically encourage people to eat all the green plants in the produce department as the majority of their intake 2/3rd, and then try to have the remaining 1/3rd all the colors of the rainbow from the other produce like carrots, beets, apples, oranges, radishes, blueberries, etc. Ok, so back to the majority excuse of not getting enough protein. Animals get their protein from plants, typically they are fed grass, corn, and grains. The protein in the grass, corn, and grains are called essential proteins, meaning they are essential for an animal including humans to repair, maintain, and produce healthy cells for their body to function at peak performance. Once an animal uses these essential proteins they become non-essential proteins. Humans already have non-essential proteins in their body and require a constant intake of essential proteins in order to be healthy. Eating animal meat will only give you non-essential proteins that will take up space where you could have had essential proteins doing the job more efficiently and safely. Your body also wastes a lot of its own energy breaking down animal proteins which can make you lose stamina and feel lethargic. The top protein on earth is spirulina, it absorbs into the digestive system faster and easier than any other protein known. And it does this at an efficiency of 80 percent, as opposed to animal meat protein that absorbs at approximately 20 percent efficiency. Meaning 1 little scoop of spirulina powder in a healthy meal or smoothie is more usable protein than a 1 pound steak. And spirulina won’t put your colon at risk for cancer. But, yes spirulina is weird tasting and makes soup or vegan chilli an unappealing dark green, just give it a chance for a couple months and you’ll start to get used to it and notice a positive change. Just don’t over consume protein, you can hurt yourself by consuming too much protein. It’s called protein poisoning, and usually meat eaters get it from only consuming meat, but you can probably get it from too much spirulina as well. The key is moderation of your protein intake.
Someone previously in this post mentioned soy and legumes being a problem. I’ve heard this quiet often and believe it to be true. Regardless of me personally not having any issues from eating soy and legumes, my mom has a thyroid problem and she cannot have soy as a result. I’m not sure why this occurs, could be genetic, previous diet choices, or simply allergies. There are some people that are allergic to water; everyone reacts differently. Just keep in mind there are always more choices than what you think. I haven’t had soy milk for years because there are better vegan milks available now (almond, cashew, coconut, and flax milk). Cashew milk is nice and creamy, but my new favorite is flax milk because of the natural Omega-3 in the flax. Omega3 is really good for your brain. But these milks are a luxury, you really are better off drinking water and/or veggie and fruit smoothies with no added sugars. There is a new study that just came out (mentioned in Netflix documentary “What the Health”) that says diabetes type2 is a result of eating animal products, mainly from the fats. And it seems like switching to a plant diet of mostly healthy foods like broccoli, green beans, and other great veggies shows to reverse and get rid of diabetes type2 where the individual can eat sugar again without having a problem or needing diabetic medications anymore.
I do find the blood test Doctor (Dr. Anne Marge Vink) mentioned in this post interesting. I will definitely check it out because the concept of everyone reacting different due to their chemistry, is absolutely true. But to this day, no human has been discovered that does better eating non-essential protein compared to eating essential protein. As far as I know, only cats require animal meat or else they go blind. Kinda weird and I haven’t fully researched this phenomenon yet to see what the chemical reaction is and why it’s required.
It sounds like you and many vegans may at risk of not absorbing the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K1. Your tongue splitting, hives, eye conditions are related to Deficiency. You need to have fat in the diet and not just from nuts, but good oil such as olive when you eat these vegetables or a piece of avocado. Don’t be misled by coconut oil, it is highly saturated. The vitamin A precursor aka beta-carotene can only be accessed with fats. We are omnivores – our teeth demonstrate this fact – eye teeth to rip into meat, and molars to grind plant and grain – although I have to say, that once our brains developed with good protein -animal sourced – we figured out we could use tools to grind grain. Vitamins A, D, E and K need fats. Bone demineralisation will occur if you don’t have A, D, E, K plus a myriad of minerals. Your skeleton, your precious eyesight, your neurological health are at stake and damage is irreversible. See a nutritionist who can assess you and put you on the right road. Meat is not the culprit. too much or too little of anything is bad. Moderation. I wish you good health to you.
THe painful tongue condition is due to vitamin B2, B3 and B12 deficiency. Make sure you also get lots of B6 from chickpeas, 1/2c .55mg; fortified cereals 0.5mg; and banana 0.4mg that should help a great deal in your diet.
Also remember that many leafy green veg such as cabbage, kale, cauli, turnips, rutabaga, radishes are GOITROGENIC which means that an excess (eaten daily) will cause goitre. THYROID problems. You do not want goitre.
Ensure you get Iodine and zinc in your diet too – you don’t want dwarfism or cretinism (with respect). Be aware that eating an excess of folate-rich foods (or supplemental folic acid) can mask B12 deficiency which is irreversible so ensure you get nutritional yeast in your diet. Supplements of B12 need to be activated form.
Understand that absorption from food is predicated on other nutrients and a healthy nutritional status as well as a healthy gastrointestinal system. And if you drink alcohol well you are not absorbing your vitamins… and damaging your gastrointestinal system and your brain. Sorry, but everything I have said in this post is fact checkable.
All nutrients are interrelated for metabolic purposes. See a nutritionist, not a quack with no qualifications, or a functional medicine doctor who is trained in nutrition. Shop clerks in pharmacies or healthfood shops are rarely qualified to dispense nutritional information.
A lot of vegans mean well but it is an extreme diet and for some it also may mask a form of mental self-abuse, even martyrdom. Plus it is so frustrating to see ignorance of food and nutrition and the devastating effect this is already having. You need food from all food groups tailored to individual needs but that is a whole new chapter. I am a psychotherapist as well as a nutritionist in training.
If you think that you are fulfilling your calcium requirements by taking a pill eg Calcium and vitamin D or Calcium K2 and D, you are so misled. You need A, C, E, D, K1, K2, magnesium, and a whole lot of other minerals plus fat to build and rebuild bone.
Eating an egg, some cheese or yoghurt (all full fat because no amount of supplementation in the yoghurt will be absorbed without fat) is vital – this may conflict with your philosophy but let’s be honest we are all in the food chain. Except in our case it’s the food processing behemoths and vested interest groups that are eating us alive. I believe vegans and consumers would be better off changing food manufacturing practices and laws since most of the “food” produced but mostly ‘manufactured’ in the USA is not healthy, but you already know this. You are half way there with ditching processed garbage and excess sugar and bad fats in your diet.
I am sorry if you cannot see at first glance where I am coming from.
Hi I read your article with great intetest. I used to be a vegan years ago but it did not agree with me and I am happy to eat non processed organic meats and chicken and fish with little or no mercury and sustainably caught. Tons of vegatables, little animal protein per meal.
I was on the anti inflammatory diet for years and it helped me to a certain extend. However I still had a meriad of problems, hypothyroidism was one of them. I ran into a doctor in the Netherlands who is an MD and has a degree in bio-chemistry who invented a very different alkergy test than any one has ever done and she heals people from the almost all diseases through their personalized diet. It has and still is resolving most all of my health issues on a daily basis since I have been avoiding my personal allergies. Back to normal at the age of 71. Please don’t take my word for it but look at her website
medisynx.com and read her scientific theory behind it. Her name is dr Anne Marge Vink, she answers all questions by email herself. All proceeds from her practice go into research and you can have the blood sent from anywhere. It has saved my life from misery and an eternal quest for answers. I have found it. There are no visits necessary after your initial test results. Stick to avoiding what your body cannot process and eliminate and your health will come back. She deals with everything from MS, Parkinsons to Artheritis and thyroud problems. I just would like for peolle to know about her because it would do really every body good to know what they should avoid eating. Goid luck if you have any problem do yourself a favor and just have a look at it.
I came across your article in search for insight on healthy eating habits. I’m so frustrated as doctors haven’t been of much help, being told that exercise & dieting is the solution but no details or assistance. Then diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Hyperthyroidism, PCOS… It’s been rather stressful. Once again told diet & exercise then added a few things to avoid, like sugars & starches but of course no indepth information on what or how or even why really… I was told to consume mostly protein & dairy then I read that isn’t the best for PCOS, etc. It’s all confusing. Let’s just say I’m at my wits end about it.
I’m looking into a book Medical Medium as soon as it’s delivered.
Thank you for sharing your story & information.
Hi Crystal, thanks for sharing some of your story. I understand your frustration because I’ve been there too. I have had both PCOS and thyroid disease. The best book I’ve found to help manage my PCOS and other issues is The Period Repair Manual by Dr. Lara Briden (the 2nd edition). She does give some diet advice, but also supplement info. It’s an AMAZING book, I wish I had read it years ago. She recommends lean protein, complex carbs (like sweet potatoes) and no dairy or gluten. Let me know if I can share any other resources. I want you to feel better!!!
Hi Carrie,
I have come across your post while doing some research on not eating meat and fertility. I was a vegan for about eights years and for the past four year I have included fish back into my diet and for the past year I have reintroduced eggs. I have been having really strong cravings for red meat lately and have considered eating it again. I am curious to know if there is any relation to non consumption of meat and infertility. I also must mention I am an O positive blood type (thrives on meat and animal protein) Any tips or articles to check out? Thanks.
Hi Kat, did you see this article? http://fertilityfriday.com/6-reasons-why-a-vegan-diet-may-harm-your-fertility/
I’d also recommend checking your omega-3 status, iron status (ferritin level), vitamin D, and B vitamins (homocysteine). I am of the mindset that if your body is craving something, then it’s important to listen.
I thank God I got your post! I have been vegan since January 1 and I have started getting hives. It’s been about a week now and my eyes are very dry and hard to open in the morning. The hives are on my face and neck as well and makeup doesn’t hide it . Could you give me the first step to take at home to remedy this? I’ll do what I have to do but, like you, I don’t want to ever eat animal anything. I am 57 years old and post-menopause. Thank you so much.
I’m so sorry to hear that, Linda. Getting hives was a reaction I had, too. I started taking a high-dose probiotic to heal my gut from all the beans and foods that didn’t agree with me, and slowly I recovered. You might Google “gut healing protocol” to find more info. Bone broth is traditionally known to help with gut healing, too. Sending my very best.
Wonderful, informative article Carrie! My experience caused me ill health after 3 years of a vegan diet. My hormones became way out of balance throwing me into and estrogen dominance situation, cholesterol regulates hormones (several obgyn’s couldn’t figure out what was going on with me and suggested the pill and/or anti-depressants) : / It was paralyzing and just terrible! I craved eggs and chicken and one day the craving was so intense I went to my local market and bought a rotisserie chicken and a dozen eggs! It took a month or so to re-balance completely. Two years later and I am doing very well on a vegetarian diet. I don’t look at it as a failure just meeting my body where it is, tuning into it’s needs and providing it with the required nutrients for optimal health : ) Love your blog!
Hugs, jean
Thanks for sharing that, Jean. Your experience sounds a lot like mine. I’m so happy to know you are doing better. XO.
I have not eaten red meat since I was teen. Over the years I have been vegetarian leaning vegan. I was veg/vegan but have been told that my Hashimoto’s, low function thyroid & IBS have been caused by my diet. It has been a tough pill to swallow. I have struggled with having to give up the diet I like for one I haven’t for years. But my health is at stake. I recently began to add fish & eggs. It has only been 2 weeks so I am not seeing much change. I pray that by adding fish & other healthy fats & limit grains & beans I will regain my health.
Sending much love and hope, Paula. I am really hoping that you start feeling better soon, I’m sure you’ve been through so much. XO.
Hi, four months ago I began a whole plant food diet. I have been living with Hashimoto thyroiditis for many years. Not quite two years ago I was diagnosed with pancreatic insufficiency. After extensive reading I decided to follow the WPFD. I began to feel good after only a couple of weeks and had enough energy to return to taking exercise classes and moving again. Now the last two weeks I feel terrible with almost daily headaches and lacking any initiative to do much. In March my B12 level was 11711pg/ml range 200-1100 . My primary doctor told me to stop taking the B12 supplement. She also lowered my Thyroid dosage having a low reading of 0.30mlu/lrange 0.40-5mlu/l. Any suggestions what I may be missing here – I try not to eat much soy but most dark greens seems to interfere with the thyroid. I have not eaten meat since my 20’s and I am a senior now. Thank you for any advice. My doctor is not working with me here.
Betty
I think you need to find a doctor who will help you figure this out, Betty. There are lots of resources to find a functional medicine physician who will know how to get your labs straightened out and get you feeling good again.
Hi Betty
Look for a plant based doctor.
Doctors in general are still following the old milk, eggs, meat pyramid. I have been Vegan 1 year now. Initial 8 months was hell as my IBS was full on, diarrhea for months. Doctor didn’t listen. Rolled his eyes when i said I am Vegan. Woukdn’t hear it that I have IBS, although the previous year (prior to becoming Vegan) I had same symptoms, months of diarrhea. Well finally, am past all that and feeling better. I am taking a 1 a day Vegan multi vitamin. I eat a lot. Eat fruits and cook with loads of veggies and legumes. Eat nuts and dates and some soy products. Chickpeas, chia seeds, flaxmeal for protein & omega fats. Plus lots of avocados for good fat.
Recently my sleep was interruoted after having jetlag from a long journey. Found out my blood sugar was dipping during sleep so my brain was waking me up as it needed more energy. Now i drink a little oat milk before bed and a sli e of bread with a little cashew cheese spread on it. Brain energy restored.
Hope you find a plant based doctor. Please let us know here?
All the best x
i have two vegan friends who have had to have liver transplants. Is this due to them not getting all the amino acids the liver needs? not enough nutrition? one wonders.
it could be because of that.
or it could be because of earlier issues.
what else did they injest?
Thanks for sharing your experiences on a vegan diet. I’d like to ad another possible down side to a vegan diet – Increased tooth decay. I never had cavity problems until I started eating vegan. Now that I have started eating more balanced, I hope my dental problems are resolved.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Erin, and I hope your dental health improves as well. I relied so heavily on sugary fruits when I was vegan, and my blood sugar just feels so much more stabilized now. Best of luck!!!
Tooth decay is due to citrus foods like apples, oranges, lemon water, etc, not veggies.
The article was written well, often articles attack one side or the other but you have managed to demonstrate your views while not putting down the other side.
I am 15 and has been vegan for 3 years, I have watched my nutrition and vitamin levels but they have never gone below average. some one, yes a vegan diet is not an option but for me, saving the animals is worth it. I encourage everyone to give the vegan life a shot, take the leap for the future!
Certain blood types simply can’t follow a vegan diet. I tried it myself and had experiences that are mentioned in this article. O type blood is suggested to follow a lean meat diet and many different forms of animal protein in their diet. Good for the people that can go without meat it, I have absolutely nothing against veganism and do understand the fact that our planet is at stake. But eating meat is not the root of our problem. People reproducing in a substantial rate is the problem. 60 years ago this wasn’t a problem because there were less mouths to feed. Today there is an increased meat production to keep up with the increased world population. Plastic is a bigger problem than people eating meat. Even vegans are contributing to plastic pollution so weather you think that you are saving the planet by not eating meat , yet there are different ways where you are contributing to some form of world destruction. Save the world, say no to plastic.
Totally agree to that. But there are other issues in eating meat. Cattle are given 16 injections of antibiotics in one month per head when transferred to another location. This is passed on to humans who consume the meat. Whether it is indicated Organic or not, we don’t know what happened to the animal. And if it was abused or not. The Amazon is burning or burnt because of the demand for meat and the let’s not forget the carbon dioxide that they produce which affects the ozone layer. So all in all, we are too many on this planet because no matter what we do, we are killing it and there is no plan B.
Footnote, I was a vegetarian since 2014 until switching over to Veganism in January. I have always taken supplements since I don’t eat much. But being a vegan has improved my life. You just have to be careful and make certain you eat correctly.
Alexandra, Carrie suggests grass-fed beef. Grass-fed is more expensive than grain-fed and that is why I eat less red meat. The main issue is that some people eat way too much in the western world. Grass-fed does not need injections. They do not eat grain, so therefore grass-fed is not responsible for the deforestation in the Amazon. Besides, grain-fed produces far more GHG because they are forced to eat things that their digestive systems don’t recognize very well. I can agree that “industrial raised” beef is horrible for the environment!
Some statistics show that you would be reducing your carbon foot-print if you choose grass-fed. Well managed livestock pastures are like biodiverse carbon cycle pumps. Carbon is absorbed into the Earth, where prairie grassland species use the carbon to produce its carbohydrates. Then the cow eats the plant and the cycle happens over and over again.
Not only can livestock reduce the carbon footprint, but it can also restore ecosystems and reverse desertification in arid, semiarid, grasslands, and rangelands (reverse climate change). This is call holistic management or prescribed grazing. Of course over grazing is not an option or else the grass-fed livestock business would fail. This is a very well thought out strategic way of managing not just the livestock, but also the ecosystem.
If you think of it, North America’s grasslands was taken over by herds of bison. Unfortunately, they were over hunted about 150 years ago. Bison are keystone species and they are responsible for keeping the land fertile with their feces and from the compaction of their hooves. They are also great carrier’s for spreading seeds for the grassland communities. This goes for livestock as well and these grazing practices have been happening for thousands of years.
I have an environmental science background. Recently studying ecosystem restoration with an interest in agroecology. What is interesting is that prescribed grazing can be used to reduce invasive plant species in grasslands and wetlands. Sheep are used for herbaceous plants. Goats for woody. Cattle/bison for grasses. Then they can also be used to spread native plant species to help restore!
This is just so amazing don’t you think? Then we can’t just let them over populate, and they really do carry all sorts of nutrients for us to eat. Why not thank them for all that they offer us?
Here are some of the scientific journals that back up my findings:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140196304001119
Luginbuhl, JM. 2000. Use of goats to manage vegetation in cattle pastures in the
Appalachian region of North Carolina. Sheep and Goat Research Journal 16(3):124-
134.
A. Joy Belsky Ph.D., 2000, Livestock Grazing and Weed Invasions
in the Arid West, PUBLISHED BY THE OREGON NATURAL DESERT ASSOCIATION
https://www.cabi.org/isc/FullTextPDF/2009/20093333148.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X17310338
I’m not sure what you included in your plant based diet, but a whole food plant based diet can be 100% balanced. Any doctor worth his salt will tell you that a whole food plant diet is bar none, the healthiest an individual can possibly follow. Meat eaters are getting their B12 through the supplements given to the animal. Vegans take the supplement. Plain and simple.
That is your opinion but it is just not true. A balanced diet is what humans evolved to eat. Thanks for sharing your opinion.
B12 is produced from gut bacteria of the animals and not as a supplement given to them.