Eating a vegan diet may increase the risk of blood clots and atherosclerosis, suggests a new study. Both are risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.
Unlike some vegetarian diets that allow milk and cheese, a vegan diet excludes all animal foods, including dairy products.
But the new study supports a vegan diet-usually touted for its health benefits-is critically low in several key nutrients such as vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, prompting experts to recommend vegan extend their diet or take vitamin supplements.
Published in the journal of agricultural and food chemistry, researchers reviewed dozens of articles on the biochemistry of vegetarianism in the last 30 years and found people who avoid all foods of animal origin may have an increased risk of developing blood clots and atherosclerosis.
High cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis, which occurs when the material fat accumulates and hardens (forming calcium deposits) along the walls of the arteries. The U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health warns that finally can block arteries atherosclerosis.
A vegetarian or vegan diet is widely believed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, unlike a meat-heavy diet, i.e. consuming too much saturated fat, which raises the cholesterol and leads to heart disease.
But researchers argue that a vegan diet lacking sufficient iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids; causing vegans have high levels of homocysteine and low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol in the blood. Both are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Homocysteine is an amino acid found in the blood; higher levels have been linked to heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, homocysteine are "strongly influenced" from the diet.
To avoid the risk of an increase in heart and in order to obtain enough B12 and omega-3, researchers should eat oily fish such as salmon, nuts, walnuts, determined as eggs, milk, fortified or recruitment supplements.
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