ok so i am freaking out

ssammoh · May 19, 2016

i am a vegan and I am having a small issue. people keep telling me i am going to die just because i am a vegan. it's really annoying. at some point i told my mom i am dizzy and she told me it's because i am a vegan. then she told me to eat chicken and eggs. yuck.

what do you guys think? do you think i am going to die just because i am a vegan?

HarvestTheFields · May 20, 2016

Well, your time will come regardless if you're vegan or not. I don't know what your current health problems and symptoms are, so it's really hard to contribute any sort of meaningful opinion.

Since you are dizzy, I'm guessing that you might be low on iron. In other words, your body wants red meat. There are other ways to get iron into your system though.

I doubt being vegan will be the sole factor that causes the decline of your health. That being said, it's possible that your restrictive diet can shorten your lifespan. Almost everyone has aspects of their diet that affects their health in certain ways.

I'm not a doctor, but nearly half my cousins are. They all unanimously agree that being vegan is not the best dietary option. It might be okay, but it's definetely not the best.

Albion · May 20, 2016

ssammoh said:
what do you guys think? do you think i am going to die just because i am a vegan?

You're not going to die just for this reason, but a vegan diet can be low in certain nutrients that you need. If you are going to go ahead with this diet, take the time to find out what deficiencies might develop and what to do to prevent them.

Mudinyeri · May 20, 2016

We're all going to die.

I agree with @Albion the average person can struggle to consume adequate nutrients on a vegan diet. My wife is a Registered Dietitian and works with vegans quite frequently. Most of them are missing out on a variety of nutrients. That doesn't mean that they're going to die (prematurely) but it does mean that their health is not what it could be.

ssammoh · May 20, 2016

HarvestTheFields said:
Well, your time will come regardless if you're vegan or not. I don't know what your current health problems and symptoms are, so it's really hard to contribute any sort of meaningful opinion.

Since you are dizzy, I'm guessing that you might be low on iron. In other words, your body wants red meat. There are other ways to get iron into your system though.

I doubt being vegan will be the sole factor that causes the decline of your health. That being said, it's possible that your restrictive diet can shorten your lifespan. Almost everyone has aspects of their diet that affects their health in certain ways.

I'm not a doctor, but nearly half my cousins are. They all unanimously agree that being vegan is not the best dietary option. It might be okay, but it's definetely not the best.

Why would my body want red meat? What does red meat have that I can't get from vegan food?

Mudinyeri · May 20, 2016

ssammoh said:
Why would my body want red meat? What does red meat have that I can't get from vegan food?

A relatively high density of protein and iron. Iron is also better absorbed from meat than vegetables. Particularly during menstruation, a woman's body needs iron.

Mediaeval · May 20, 2016

ssammoh said:
Why would my body want red meat? What does red meat have that I can't get from vegan food?

Vitamin B12.

ssammoh · May 20, 2016

Mediaeval said:
Vitamin B12.

Coconut milk has vitamin b12. ALOT of it.

LaSorcia · May 20, 2016

Do you eat lentils/dal? They are high in protein and iron, and can be tasty with brown rice, sesame oil and salt.

Mediaeval · May 20, 2016

ssammoh said:
Coconut milk has vitamin b12. ALOT of it.

Like other plant foods, coconut milk does not naturally contain B12, but apparently you can get it enriched, although I wonder what the source of that B12 is.

sarah_beloved · May 20, 2016

You have to be more specific about what type of vegan you are and what does your typical diet consists of. The dizziness could most likely be due to a lack of the mineral iron, which is found most abundantly in red meat and livers. You can get them from egg yolk, some lentils sort of food and dark green leafy veg too but I'm not sure if the bioavailability is the same. I myself take iron supplements.

Iron absorption is enhanced with vitamin C and decreased with caffeine. Or something else found in coffee and tea. I can't remember that well. Many iron supplements have a moderate amount of vit c added.

A vegan diet also regularly lacks vitamin B (I can't remember the specific one, someone mentioned B12) and complete protein. The protein from most plant food, with the exception of soya beans are incomplete. Meaning they lack 1 or more essential amino acids.

Btw, this is just fyi, a vegetarian diet does not equate a healthy diet. Many vegetarian food particularly mock meat are high in fats and artificial flavors. But you did not specify what sort of vegan you are, so this may or may not apply.

Another fyi, you're going to die eventually regardless of whether you're a vegan.

ssammoh · May 21, 2016

sarah_beloved said:
You have to be more specific about what type of vegan you are and what does your typical diet consists of. The dizziness could most likely be due to a lack of the mineral iron, which is found most abundantly in red meat and livers. You can get them from egg yolk, some lentils sort of food and dark green leafy veg too but I'm not sure if the bioavailability is the same. I myself take iron supplements.

Iron absorption is enhanced with vitamin C and decreased with caffeine. Or something else found in coffee and tea. I can't remember that well. Many iron supplements have a moderate amount of vit c added.

A vegan diet also regularly lacks vitamin B (I can't remember the specific one, someone mentioned B12) and complete protein. The protein from most plant food, with the exception of soya beans are incomplete. Meaning they lack 1 or more essential amino acids.

Btw, this is just fyi, a vegetarian diet does not equate a healthy diet. Many vegetarian food particularly mock meat are high in fats and artificial flavors. But you did not specify what sort of vegan you are, so this may or may not apply.

Another fyi, you're going to die eventually regardless of whether you're a vegan.

Thanks for this comment. I am guessing the dizziness was from an iron deficiency. After I had a lot of beans I stopped being dizzy. Usually I get dizzy if I dont eat enough beans. But I would rather eat beans than eat meat.

Btw I meant dying specifically from the vegan diet.

I like to have cereal with non-dairy "milk", usually coconut milk but sometimes almond milk. Lately, most of my diet is vegetables and beans. But I also eat fruits, nuts, seeds and grains. I try to avoid weird chemicals in my food. I do like veggie burgers, nuggets, and bacon. But I know they are processed weirdly.

ssammoh · May 21, 2016

Mediaeval said:
Like other plant foods, coconut milk does not naturally contain B12, but apparently you can get it enriched, although I wonder what the source of that B12 is.

True but I would rather eat fortified foods than eat animal products. I have an aversion to them.

ssammoh · May 21, 2016

Mudinyeri said:
A relatively high density of protein and iron. Iron is also better absorbed from meat than vegetables. Particularly during menstruation, a woman's body needs iron.

i got a blood test recently. i definately get enough iron. my hemoglobin level is 13.7

ssammoh · May 23, 2016

I called the doctor to ask for more details. he said there are no deficiencies at all whatsoever. i am so relieved.

HarvestTheFields · May 23, 2016

I'm glad to hear that you have no deficiencies in your diet. It sounds like you have a pretty balanced diet despite being vegan.

Hows your blood pressure, breathing, and blood sugar?

bhsmte · Jun 5, 2016

ssammoh said:
i am a vegan and I am having a small issue. people keep telling me i am going to die just because i am a vegan. it's really annoying. at some point i told my mom i am dizzy and she told me it's because i am a vegan. then she told me to eat chicken and eggs. yuck.

what do you guys think? do you think i am going to die just because i am a vegan?

No.

ok so i am freaking out

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