Vegan and plant-based diets have many benefits. As well as countering the moral and ethical issues associated with eating meat, they have been shown to improve health in certain areas, such as by lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
However, according to experts, they also have some significant downsides, including an increased stroke risk for those who stick to them, with a recent study by the University of Oxford indicating that vegans and vegetarians are a fifth more likely to suffer a stroke than meat-eaters.
Although further research needs to be conducted before this phenomenon can be fully explained, those involved in the study have suggested this is likely due to a lack of vitamins in those who follow a plant-based diet.
That said, it’s not all bad news for vegans and vegetarians, as tests also backed up earlier research by indicating that this group of individuals have a 22 per cent lower risk of heart disease. Pescatarians, too, reap similar benefits, with a 13 per cent lower risk than their carnivorous counterparts.
Researchers explained that this phenomenon is due to a lower average body mass index in such individuals, along with decreased blood pressure and cholesterol and a lower incidence of diabetes.
Nonetheless, this study still raises a worrying issue, with strokes posing a significant health problem for those who follow plant-based diets. With a 20 per cent higher incidence of these among this group, it was found that haemorrhagic strokes are particularly prevalent i.e. those caused by bleeding in and around the brain.
One theory put forward to explain this pattern is that there are lower levels of vitamins found in those who follow vegan and vegetarian diets. The team explained that further investigation into this is required, but that lower circulating levels of several important nutrients, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, essential amino acids, and long-chain n3- polyunsaturated fatty acids, were noted among these individuals.
So what does this mean for those who adopt a plant-based diet? Firstly, it’s important to realise that while some negative side-effects have been observed, there are also many benefits, such as the decreased risk of heart disease we mentioned earlier. Secondly, veganism and vegetarianism are ethical choices for many and this should be respected.
This doesn’t mean, however, that no action should be taken. Rather, it’s important to ensure that if you eat a plant-based diet, you take steps to make sure it’s nutritionally complete. To do this, we recommend brushing up on your knowledge of what constitutes a healthy diet and adding in supplements and multivitamins where necessary to make up for any potential deficiencies.
Want to learn more? Then contact the team at Conella today! We’re always happy to help with any questions or queries you might have.
