In your daily life, you are faced with varying challenges; among the top problems that consistently bug your daily life is how to stay healthy. In pursuit of a healthy life, you come across numerous options, some helpful while others are unsubstantiated fads. For generations, one approach that has proven to hold numerous health benefits is going the vegan way.
Vegetarian diets rely on plants, meaning that if you choose the vegan way, you are doing away with meat and other animal products. Despite its many benefits, however, there are some downsides that you should be aware of. Here is a look at meatless diet side effects and what you need to know as you embark on a vegetarian diet.
Nutrients Deficiency
One of the meatless diet side effects is the association with hair loss as a result of severe protein deficiency among other vital nutrients. Sure, vegan diets hold proteins, but not in as much content as there are in meat.
The other essential deficiency that could result from vegan diets includes vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. Apart from hair loss, other symptoms that you may be lacking such vital nutrients include taste and smell abnormalities, eye and skin lesions, diarrhea, fatigue, goiters, delayed healing for the wounds, loss of appetite and weight to mention a few.
Hair growth is a vivid example that requires zinc, iron, and vitamin B for it to grow effectively. Although a vegan diet that includes ingredients such as dark green, leafy vegetables, and dried beans to mention a few hold nutrients like iron, your body experiences a hard time absorbing the nutrients from a wholly vegetarian diet. This is because a vegan diet has a lower protein level, and protein is crucial in stimulating the production of hydrochloric acid, the digestive juice required to facilitate proper digestion in your stomach.
Such deficiencies mean that a person relying on a vegan diet may need to take supplements to replenish the body of the necessary nutrients.
Excess Gases
How often do you pass gas after consuming beans? It is not just beans; other vegan choices have the same effects including wheat products. This is because of the fiber content in plants, and though it may be an annoyance, it is something you have to live with.
When it comes to excessive gas, the first step is establishing what ingredients are leading to such repercussion. From there, you can devise a way to moderately consume such diets or do away with them when you are in a social gathering to avoid awkward moments. Awful gases are an indication of consuming a healthy diet; however, it is one of the meatless diet side effects that you have to accept if you are prepared to reap vegan lifestyle benefits.
Moods and Mental Health
There is more evidence to support the notion that one of the meatless diet side effects is affecting moods and mental health. With different studies showing different findings, it is not clear how meatless diets contribute to depression, anxiety attacks, and depressive moods. However, there are some studies that correlate the two, thus consider this factor as well.
Social Challenge
One of the most apparent meatless diet side effects has to deal with social awkwardness. Have you ever been to a restaurant and could hardly spot a vegan diet on the menu? Invited to a party or a wedding and almost went hungry due to the lack of an ideal meal? Well, it does not stop there; you need to be ready to be a subject of ridicule from your friends, colleagues, and even family members who do not understand your choice.
The good news is that with the continued dietary awareness, more and more people are adopting the meatless diet. That means your efforts to get a vegan diet even in restaurants will, in time, get easier. For now, the social challenge is among the list of meatless diet side effects that you have to embrace.
Among the top health benefits of meatless diets includes impressive heart health. With many more benefits that allow you to enjoy a healthier life, the meatless diet side effects seem to be a drop in the ocean. However, as you go the vegan way, take note that it is possible to get the least of its benefits if you do not observe a healthy diet that holds the required nutrients so be sure to make a balanced vegan diet.
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