Table of contents:
- What's the difference being a vegan and a vegetarian?
- You shouldn't be a vegan if….
- 1. Vitamin B12 deficiency
- 2. Zinc deficiency
- 3. Soy allergies
- 4. Peanut allergy
- 5. Suffer irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
A vegan diet that only eats plant-based foods is often cited as the healthiest lifestyle. However, it turns out that not everyone can become a vegan. There are a number of health conditions that prevent you from living this lifestyle.
What's the difference being a vegan and a vegetarian?
The vegan lifestyle is different from the vegetarian. A vegetarian sometimes still consumes fish, milk or eggs.
Vegans do not consume eggs, milk, fish, honey, or even use products made from animal furs and skins.
It can be healthy to have a vegetarian or vegan diet, but you still run the risk of being deficient in a number of nutrients.
You have to find other alternatives to meet your intake of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin B12 which are actually more abundant in animal sources.
Citing the Vegan page, protein can be obtained from nuts and seeds. Meanwhile, when you become a vegan, you can also get calcium by eating broccoli, tofu and soybean juice.
Iron is abundant in spinach, soy products, and peas. While vitamin B12 is obtained from fortified foods or supplements.
You shouldn't be a vegan if….
There are several reasons that underlie someone to be vegan. This lifestyle is considered to be able to protect animals, be more environmentally friendly, and reduce the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, and obesity.
However, there are some conditions that prevent you from living a vegan lifestyle. Here are among them.
1. Vitamin B12 deficiency
For people who are deficient in vitamin B12, eating a vegan diet can be even more strenuous because almost all of the vitamin B12 sources come from animals.
You need to take supplements or foods that have been fortified with vitamin B12 to prevent this condition from getting worse.
2. Zinc deficiency
Vegetarians and vegans are at greater risk of developing zinc deficiency because the phytate content in vegetables can interfere with mineral absorption.
Zinc deficiency can even get worse if you stop eating animal foods altogether.
3. Soy allergies
Soy is used in a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan food products. It can be difficult to be a vegan if you are allergic to protein in soy.
As a result, the food choices you can consume are very limited.
4. Peanut allergy
Like soybeans, beans are also used as raw material for vegetarian and vegan snacks. A severe peanut allergy can cause dangerous reactions to the body.
If you accidentally eat vegan foods that contain nuts, this condition can even be fatal.
5. Suffer irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
A vegan diet consists of vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based ingredients that are high in fiber. High fiber intake can trigger symptoms in people with IBS.
A study in 2017 also showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with symptoms of this disease.
The various conditions above actually do not completely prevent you from becoming a vegan. However, you must really pay attention to the type and amount of food consumed so as not to cause health problems.
If you want to live a vegan lifestyle with these conditions, the first step you should take is to consult a doctor.
Make sure you are aware of the potential health risks so that a healthy vegan lifestyle does not harm you.
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