Veganism: is it healthful or just fashionable?

 Veganism is all the rage these days. Its popularity has risen since it is thought to be environmentally friendly, cruelty-free, and heart-healthy.

Veganism is good for your heart because it encourages you to eat less processed, factory-raised meats, which can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

Processed meats have a higher salt and chemical content. It is critical to ensure the quality of meat when it is consumed. Choosing desi (organic) chicken versus broiler chicken is one way to ensure this.

Choose grass-fed red meat over grain-fed red meat and desi, pasture-raised eggs over conventional eggs. A higher omega-3/omega-6 ratio can be obtained by eating animal products that have been grown in their natural state. Omega-6-rich diets have been related to a number of potential ailments.

Let's delve a little more into the drawbacks of turning vegan.

Vegans avoid all animal-based items such as dairy, seafood, poultry, red meat, and so on.

You run the danger of becoming deficient in vital vitamins, such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and iron, if you go vegan.

If you go vegan, supplementing your diet with clean vitamin B12 and attempting to obtain daily sun exposure to raise your vitamin D levels is strongly suggested.

Vitamin B12 is required for the formation of DNA blood cells, and those who do not get enough of it may experience fatigue. A vitamin D shortage can cause serious bone problems as well as a weakened immune system.

Additionally, tukh malanga (basil seeds), chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and other plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential in the fight against inflammation.

Anemia is frequently caused by a lack of iron. Anemia is a condition in which your haemoglobin levels are low, which can be harmful since you don't have enough red blood cells to provide enough oxygen to your body's tissues.

Tiredness, weakness, and fainting are some of the negative symptoms. Pumpkin seeds, raisins, figs, dried apricots, kale, and other plant-based iron sources are used.

Hair loss, loss of appetite, poor immunity, and growth retardation have all been linked to zinc deficiency. Cashews, oats, sesame seeds, and other plant-based zinc sources include these.

Another major disadvantage of the vegan diet is that it is deficient in protein, a vital macronutrient.

Protein is necessary for bone health and weight management. Our bones and muscles are repaired and built by protein. Protein is also essential for the production of hormones and enzymes.

One can get their daily required protein intake from the following plant-based sources: quinoa, tofu, daals (lentils), lobia (beans), etc.

However, an issue with getting your protein requirement from legumes is that they are not complete proteins. This means they do not contain all of the nine essential amino acids that are important to promote muscle protein synthesis post-workout.

Muscle protein synthesis is the metabolic process of converting amino acids into bound skeletal muscle proteins, which is required for increasing lean muscle mass and lowering body fat.

One approach to deal with this is to eat daal-chawaal, a well-known and delicious desi cuisine. You may get all of the required amino acids in your diet by mixing lentils or beans with rice.

Vegans may also have a damaged gut and poor sleep quality due to a lack of glycine in their diet.

Glycine is a fantastic amino acid that helps to seal the gut lining while also improving sleep quality. Bloating, constipation, gas, and even diarrhoea can occur if the gut is not operating properly.

Glycine is a neurotransmitter that has a relaxing impact on the body, resulting in better sleep quality and a shorter time to fall asleep.

Plant-based sources of glycine include spinach and cabbage, which are acceptable supplies despite not being as high in glycine as animal-based diets.

Veganism has a lot of advantages, but it also has a lot of drawbacks if you don't supplement your nutrition appropriately.

If you do decide to go vegan, make sure to eat the plant-based meals listed above to avoid any nutrient deficiencies that could harm your health.

As a reminder, no one diet fits all. One might do extremely well on a vegan diet and another may not.

Several risks apply therefore one should approach it with caution.