YOU could be forgiven for thinking vegan diets are the healthiest of all. It is often touted as a healthier alternative to eating meat — but a new book claims many of the health “benefits” may be unfounded. In The Great Plant-Based Con, author Jayne Buxton says there are many reasons why giving up meat and dairy could in fact be detrimental to your health.
Not only are your odds of anaemia and bone fractures greater, but you could be putting yourself at a higher risk of stroke and kidney stones . Jayne says: “We are all being persuaded that it’s a good idea to give up animal-sourced foods like fish, eggs and dairy. “Celebrities are doing it.
Vegan restaurants have started popping up everywhere.” US singer Lizzo and TV wildlife presenter Chris Packham are among the celebrities who follow a vegan diet and millions sign up for Veganuary every year. Instead, Jayne says that a wholefood diet with plenty of fresh, seasonal plant and animal food is better for your health.
Here, she shares eight reasons to think twice before you go vegan. “Vitamin deficiency is one of the reasons I would advise people not to go vegan,” says Jayne. “Vitamin B12 is essential for neurological and brain function.
“Most people know you can’t get it from plant-based foods and vegans will say to supplement.” But Jayne warns that relying on a supplement to make a diet healthy is a problem. She says: “Rates of vitamin B12 deficiency among vegans is still higher than in omnivores.
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