diet tips: The risks of vegan diet

The risks of vegan diet

Diet that excludes animal products has been gaining strength in recent years and alarming experts.
Whether by belief, solidarity with animals or fad, do not eat meat or animal food (vegan diet) is a trend that has been gaining momentum in recent years.
In the UK, for example, the number of people who become vegan increased 350% in the last decade.
And this is alarming some experts, especially when adopting this diet for pure fad.
"When people become vegan because of some religion, tend to know how to do it properly in other words:. Know how to compensate for nutritional deficiencies resulting from not eating meat and dairy products," says Catherine Collins, of the British Dietetic Association .
"But we have not seen this with people who become vegan to become similar to others who see the Internet," he adds.
Celebrities like actress Gwyneth Paltrow become such popular diet.
"These people see pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow and want to do the same thing. They want to be fashionable but are endangering their own health in the long term."
A vegan diet excludes all animal foods such as meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs and honey.
There are even more orthodox vegans who do not cook vegetables. They follow a diet known as crudiveganismo.
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Many supporters, however, say that the diet has a number of health benefits. However, nutrition experts warn of the lack of protein, important vitamins and nutrients.
In an interview with BBC World service in Spanish BBC, Jesús Román, president of the Spanish Society of Nutrition and Food Sciences, said the vegan diet "is complicated and should be adopted with sufficient knowledge."
"When a food group is eliminated in this case very broadly, since they are all discarded food of animal origin, there are a number of nutrients that are difficult to obtain eating only vegetables," he explains.
Vitamin B-12 is essential for the development of healthy red blood cells and can help prevent anemia Image
Vitamin B-12 is essential for the development of healthy red blood cells and can help prevent anemia
Vitamin B-12 and protein
Vitamin B-12 is essential for the development of healthy red blood cells and can help prevent anemia.
The problem is that it is only found in animal products.
"In order to survive for long, given that the lack of vitamin B-12 takes to manifest, a vegan should ingest supplements of this vitamin."
Protein helps build and maintain healthy muscles, organs, skin and bones.
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If you eat only vegetables, experts recommend include in the diet certain products such as dried fruits, seeds, soy products, vegetables, and grains lentinhas in order to get enough protein.
"The protein is a key element in a person's diet To get quality protein in a vegan diet, you need to mix different foods. - Cereals with vegetables for example," said Román.
Iron is vital for energy and for the proper functioning of red blood cells Image
Iron is vital for energy and for the proper functioning of red blood cells
Iron, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids
Iron is vital for energy and for the proper functioning of red blood cells.
But, according to the expert, it is difficult to eat enough iron in a vegetarian diet, since it is more easily absorbed from animal products than plant.
So a vegetarian should eat large servings of dark leafy greens, whole grains, beans or peas, lentils, fortified cereals and dried fruits.
To increase iron absorption, also it is recommended to eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries and lemons.
Moreover, calcium is important to maintain strong bones and teeth. Thus, experts recommend that in the event of the cut dairy diet, the supporters of the vegan diet to use substitutes like soy bed or fruit juice, cereal or tofu with added calcium.
dark green leaves, such as broccoli and kale, also contain calcium, but alone are not sufficient to meet the need of the body's calcium.
Have omega-3 fatty acids help promote healthy tissue, the development of the eye and the brain, and cardiovascular health.
No eggs or fish in the diet, the recommendation is to look for products enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. But according to experts, you may need to eat a nutritional supplement to meet this need.
Román also notes that the first step before adopting a vegan diet is to be healthy.
It also recommends that the followers of this diet to submit to blood tests regularly to determine if there is a lack of some nutrient in particular.