Heart beat Meat is usually seen as the bad guy when it comes to diet and heart disease, but after reviewing several medical articles relating to the biochemistry of vegetarianism, researchers from Zhejiang University, China, have suggested that vegans may also be putting themselves at higher risk of developing heart disease.
Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat; veganism is the same only vegans also avoid foods derived from animals, including eggs, milk and other products. Vegans tend to lack several significant nutrients, namely iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. A balanced vegetarian diet can provide a person with enough protein, say the researchers, but this is more difficult to achieve with a vegan diet, especially in relation to fatty acids often found in protein-rich foods. Vegans were found to have lower than average levels of HDL, the good cholesterol as well as higher blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is linked to higher risk of heart disease.
There are non-meat sources of all the nutrients the study participants appear to be lacking – omega-3 fatty acids are found in nuts; eggs and fortified milk contain vitamin B12. But vegans miss out on some of these foods. Dietary supplements can supply these nutrients but again, if as many of these nutrients are animal-derived they would not be part of a strict vegan diet.
First published February 18, 2011