Just prejudice?

Anyone who lives vegan should be prepared for these statements

Created: 01/13/2023, 06:30

By: Anna Heyers

Many people deliberately avoid animal foods in January.

But how healthy is a vegan diet in the long term?

There are many prejudices about this.

Although, or maybe precisely because, more and more people are deciding not to eat animal products, there are always discussions about vegan nutrition.

Especially now in January.

Everything revolves more or less around the question of whether she is really healthy - or not.

Because it is a fact that a vegan person lacks the nutrients that are found in products such as milk, eggs, fish or meat.

But it is also a fact that nowadays you do not have to do without these substances.

Still, there are plenty of prejudices.

An excerpt:

Living vegan is unhealthy - a well-known prejudice

It is true that a person needs a balanced diet of carbohydrates and proteins, fats as well as fiber and micronutrients to live a healthy life.

Of course, this also applies to vegans, for them only the sources of supply of these ingredients change.

Instead of relying on meat or fish, more vegetables and fruit, as well as legumes, nuts and whole grain products are now being served.

In some cases, they eat a much more varied and balanced diet than meat eaters.

A vegan diet doesn't have to be boring - and in many cases is even more balanced than people who eat everything.

(Iconic image) © Larissa Veronesi/Imago

A positive development, as the American

found in a

: "Vegans seem to be associated with a lower risk of female-specific cancers and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract." The risk of strokes, Alzheimer's or heart disease was also raised study lowered.

Many believe that man cannot live off plants alone

In discussions, it also comes up again and again that humans are not actually geared towards purely eating plants.

But even that is only partially true if you look at the other pure meat eaters in nature.

We neither have fangs, nor do we swallow the chunks of meat whole and almost unchewed.

Instead, our saliva has enzymes that start using food as soon as we chew it.

dr

Marie Ahluwalia, a doctor and nutritionist from the

, proved, for example, that people can also consume large amounts of plant-based food.

She herself recommends a 90 percent plant-based diet.

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Important vitamins are missing from a vegan diet

What is certain is that a vitamin B12 deficiency is often found in vegans.

The vitamin is important for blood formation and a well-functioning nervous system.

It also occurs naturally, for example in sauerkraut, algae or shiitake mushrooms.

But the human body cannot use it optimally.

But the shortage doesn't just affect vegans.

According to

, about one in ten people in Germany is affected.

However, if you eat fish, meat and eggs, you can better compensate for the deficiency.

The

recommends that vegans, for example, take an appropriate preparation.

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Vitamin D deficiency does not only affect vegans either.

According to

, a good 30 percent of Germans suffer from it in winter.

As with B12, you should have your doctor check you out, because there are also appropriate preparations for vitamin D deficiency.

It is said that soy changes the hormone balance

Supposedly, soy messes up the hormone balance in men and reduces libido and sperm quality.

It is true that soybeans contain isoflavones, a group of plant compounds that are similar to the human sex hormone estrogen.

The assumptions about changes in sperm, libido and hormone balance are largely based on cell and animal studies.

None of this has been confirmed in humans.

Without additional nutrients, vegans suffer, right?

Folic acid, vitamin C or beta-carotene are usually not a problem for vegans.

On average, they are even slightly better off than the rest of the population.

It is more difficult with iron, where something should be helped.

For example, chickpeas, dried apricots or millet should be on the menu.

Calcium, which is usually found in dairy products, is found in kale, spinach and some types of mineral water, among other things.

Walnuts, vegetable oils, and flaxseed are exemplary sources of unsaturated fatty acids.

Experts from the

also recommend using linseed and rapeseed oil, as they contain the omega-3 fatty acids.

Is the vegan diet healthy or not?

The usual prejudices about vegan life can be easily refuted.

How you feed yourself in the end is usually up to you.

Whether a bit of everything, vegetarian or vegan doesn't matter at first.

It is only important that you eat as balanced as possible and, if in doubt, always consult a doctor before making a change.

This is especially true if you also want to feed your baby vegan.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.