Changing to plant-based diet has been a controversial topic for a long time. Vegan diet, according to what the NHS indicates, contains plants and food made from plants only1. It would reduce stress in the NHS and hence be promoted due to several reasons, such as the absence of certain substances that cause diseases. However, lack of essential nutrients in the vegan diet also causes diseases.
Vegan diet is associated with reduced incidence of obesity, as the eaters take in fewer saturated fats and trans-fats that are usually found in animals and processed foods2. It also reduces the occurrence of cardio-vascular diseases due to lower cholesterol level and several other factors. A study in 2013 showed that plant eaters had 32% less chance of getting ischemic heart disease3.
Carotenoids are lipid-soluble pigments easily found in plants, and they produce a range of bright colours in the vegetables4. They act as antioxidants, which prevent or slow down the damage to cells caused by free radicals, for human5. Oxidative stress, the process caused by free radicals and triggers cell damage, is considered to play a crucial role in a wide range of diseases including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease6.
Furthermore, fibre-rich diet, which vegan diet is, has positive effects on body health. As NHS suggests, fibres help with digestion and prevent constipation7. There are other studies that have increasingly shown the good bacteria contained in fibres protects our gut8. Another study demonstrated that vegan diet helps improve skin condition, and it also suggests that stop consuming dairy products reduces the amount of acnes significantly9.
On the other side, some evidence suggested that people should not be vegan to reduce stress in the NHS and encourage healthy eating. Vegan diet lacks vitamin B12, which is mainly found in meat and eggs, and it is important for cell growth and a healthy nervous system; B12 deficiency can trigger neurological diseases and it is irreversible if it lasts for long enough10. Moreover, lack of this vitamin might be one of the factors resulting in a higher risk of stroke11.
Another nutrient, protein, more specifically animal protein, is missing in a vegan diet12. As figure 1 shows, vegetarians have poorer animal protein intake than non-vegetarian. This can lead to protein deficiency, which then associates with slower wound healing time and several other symptoms13.
Figure 1
In order to substitute meat, vegetarian might consume more soy products. However, they have a particularly high concentration of phytoestrogen, which has a similar chemical structure with oestrogen and thus binds to oestrogen receptors to interfere with natural oestrogen production; One possible outcome of having excess oestrogen is breast cancer14.
Some evidence shows that vegan diet does not only trigger physical health problems, it also causes mental health issues. Vegetarian is two times more likely to take meditations for mental diseases and three times more likely to consider self-harm than meat eaters15. Figure 2 below demonstrates the incidence of depressive disorders, and vegetarians have greater risks of depressive disorders.
Figure 2
Overall, I think vegan diet does not help reduce the stress in the NHS under current circumstances, as it also triggers health problems such as nutrient deficiencies. Eating plants does not mean healthy. However, as this idea becomes more mature, there will be more scientific instructions guiding people to have a complete and correct idea about vegan diet.
References:
- NHS, The Vegan Diet. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/
- Deckers J. Animal (De)liberation: Should the Consumption of Animal Products Be Banned? London: Ubiquity Press; 2016. Might a Vegan Diet Be Healthy, or Even Healthier? Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK396513/
- Crowe, F. L., Appleby, P. N., Travis, R. C., & Key, T. J. Risk of hospitalisation or death from ischemic heart disease among British vegetarians and non-vegetarians: results from the EPIC-Oxford cohort study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 97(3), 597–603. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.044073
- Nabi, F, Arain, MA, Rajput, N, et al. Health benefits of carotenoids and potential application in poultry industry: A review. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr. 2020; 104: 1809– 1818. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13375
- Megan Ware, How can antioxidants benefit our health?, Medical News Today, 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301506
- NIH, Antioxidants in Depth. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth
- NHS, Good Foods to Help Your Digestion. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/good-foods-to-help-your-digestion/
- Dietary fibre, British Nutrition Foundation. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/basics/fibre.html?limitstart=0
- Maddy Sims, Going Vegan Can Make Your Skin Glow - But It Comes With a Catch, Insider, 2018. https://www.insider.com/vegan-diet-skin-benefits-2018-7
- Jessica Brown, “Are There Health Benefits to Going Vegan?”, BBC Future, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200122-are-there-health-benefits-to-going-vegan
- Jessica Brown, “Are There Health Benefits to Going Vegan?”, BBC Future, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200122-are-there-health-benefits-to-going-vegan
- Mariotti F, Gardner CD. Dietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets-A Review. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2661. Published 2019 Nov 4. doi:10.3390/nu11112661
- Carrie Forrest, Dangers of Eating Soy + Some Safe Ways to Eat It, Clean Eating Kitchen, 2019. https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/dangers-of-eating-soy/#Controversies
- Barchitta M, Maugeri A, Favara G, et al. Nutrition and wound healing: An overview focusing on the beneficial effects of curcumin. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(5):1119. doi:10.3390/ijms20051119
- Times of India, “Vegetarians and Vegans are More Likely to be Depressed Than Meat Eaters, Claims Study”, 2020. https://m.timesofindia.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/vegetarians-and-vegans-are-more-likely-to-be-depressed-than-meat-eaters-claims-study/articleshow/75555301.cms
