Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional mistakes

Conclusion

Too many vegetarians and vegans follow a trend, a guru, or a book. They cite at least one of three reasons for doing so: animal welfare, improving their ecological footprint, or 'staying healthy' or 'regaining health.' In doing so, they fall into avoidable dietary traps that only reveal themselves to be unhealthy after a long time. So, one can rightly ask: Is a vegan diet harmful to health?

Well-informed vegans eat healthily, but the majority tend to eat unhealthily due to ignorance. With the right knowledge, you can create a vegan diet that optimally promotes your health. A varied and natural diet includes plenty of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables and largely avoids salt, sugar, bad fats, and highly processed foods.

Unfortunately, studies show that vegans are less well supplied with some essential nutrients than omnivores. Therefore, vegans and vegetarians should pay particular attention to ensuring they have an adequate supply of the following nutrients: vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, iodine, and calcium ; as well as the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. A long-term deficiency can significantly impact your health and lead to illness. We recommend having your nutritional status checked regularly by your doctor to detect any deficiencies early and correct them.

We want to ensure that as many vegans as possible are aware of the problems and can improve their eating habits – preferably towards a more natural diet.

This article provides answers to the questions:

• Can you eat better with a vegan diet than with a mixed diet?
• What are the critical nutrients? How can you determine a deficiency or dangerous excess?
• What can I do to ensure optimal care?

With this website, we aim to ensure that you, as the reader, not only "know" the basics of healthy nutrition, but also "understand" them. Read the article "Basic Knowledge" about the connection between health and ecology. And find out what role grassroots movements and politics play in a sustainable future.

Without the small word "often," "vegans eat unhealthily" would be too general—and also a completely false statement, because: Well-informed vegans can eat particularly healthily. You'll quickly discover this when reading the article Secondary Plant Compounds (Basic Information). In our text How to Avoid Cancer? The Basics of Cancer Development, you can see in detail that the construction of a cell requires more than 10,000 different substances—all just in time—to create optimal cells, since approximately 300 billion cells are renewed in the body every day. This equates to about 3.5 million cells per second.

Introduction

Your lifestyle determines your health

Lifestyle and nutrition are important factors that significantly influence your health. Your body can compensate for this for a long time, as an unhealthy lifestyle often only leads to preventable lifestyle diseases after age 60.¹ An unhealthy diet, overeating, smoking, drinking alcohol,² and lack of exercise all damage your health and vitality in the long term.¹

How does an unhealthy diet come about? When choosing food, most people are guided solely by what they enjoy. Neither maintaining their health nor reducing environmental pollution plays a role in this. Highly processed foods have a strong appeal because they contain a lot of fat, salt, and sugar. These are harmful, unnecessary, and unhealthy. The difficulty is breaking unhealthy habits because they are deeply ingrained in the brain. It takes about three months to get used to eating less salt and to develop a completely different ability to enjoy food. The book review Salt Sugar Fat shows why politicians are keeping a low profile on the subject.

There are many good reasons to avoid animal products, but we shouldn't take this too seriously.

Motives & challenges of a vegan diet

The vegan diet has gained popularity over the past 20 years. The three most frequently cited reasons are animal welfare, environmental protection, and health. Other motives for veganism include world hunger and religion (according to the Cultural Encyclopedia of Vegetarianism by Margaret Puskar-Pasewicz ; page 240). A vegan diet is actually more environmentally friendly than other diets (mixed diets or vegetarian diets). Researchers have used life cycle assessment to find that a purely plant-based diet has the greatest potential to reduce overall environmental impact. For background information on ecological sustainability and life cycle assessments, see the article, "What does the ecological footprint mean ?" See also "Cities - Drivers for Sustainable Nutrition."

A vegan or vegetarian diet isn't automatically healthy. Many people blindly follow a trend, not considering whether it's harmful or beneficial. Even heavy smokers or alcoholics don't notice any major physical limitations for a long time. One can also boast long-lasting role models, but these are rare exceptions, with particularly good genes—and luck.

Due to a lack of knowledge of the facts, the main problem for vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists is the one-sidedness of their diet. Meat, fish, and dairy products provide many essential nutrients at once. If animal products are eliminated, vegans must plan their nutrient intake carefully. Instead of meat, the right combination and amount of plant-based foods can provide the necessary nutrients. Help is rarely available, so this article aims to provide some information.

Veganism and raw food are also largely reduced to their enjoyment rather than their benefits for the body. This is also reflected in cookbooks ( recipe books ). The Swiss Foundation for Health and Nutrition (diet-health.info - see "Our Team") analyzed more than 70 new vegan recipe books published since 2015 by the end of 2020.

If it can be proven that vegans overall eat worse than regular eaters, it is to be expected that the food industry will want to stop the decline in sales and exploit the issue. This would be very damaging to the idea of veganism and thus also to ecology (keyword: What does the ecological footprint mean?).

What is healthy eating?

Fundamentally, we should focus on a varied, natural, and nutrient-rich diet (whole food diet) to avoid nutritional deficiencies. We might think that vegetables, legumes, fruit, seeds, nuts, algae, some grains/rice, and water are all healthy options. This is true, as long as you maintain a balanced diet. This is easier to achieve with some insects or fish, at least in cases where, for example, the body's conversion of omega-3 fatty acids (ALA to EPA and DHA) is poor.⁹

Regardless of your diet (vegan or non-vegan), there are health risks associated with overconsumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF). Ultra-processed foods typically contain high amounts of salt, fat, and sugar, as well as industrially produced ingredients such as preservatives, flavorings, etc.

The website diet-health.info has an entry for every food (recipe ingredient), providing information about its use in the kitchen, health benefits, ingredients, and environmental impact. The search field takes you directly to the desired ingredients.

Healthy nutrition as a principle:
Plants and animals (including humans) require an optimum of essential macronutrients and micronutrients, including vitamins, to grow and function.

To better position themselves, plants developed so-called secondary plant substances (including vitamins). It is primarily the substances, not the nutrients, that can keep us healthy or heal us – unless we get too much or too little of certain nutrients or are unable to utilize them properly.

See the article on secondary plant substances (SP). SPs are absent from all animal foods. Various processes reduce their effectiveness. Often, or usually, they are found in the plant surfaces (e.g., apple peel ). When isolated from the plant, many SPs lack any effect at all. (EE)

The so-called secondary plant substances are present in large numbers in plant-based foods, and you can benefit from them in a vegan diet, provided you pay attention to the nutritional errors listed below.

Nutritional errors of vegans - nutrients we should pay attention to

The path outside of normative society (social norm) is difficult. Guardrails are usually lacking. A trend often sweeps young people along without criticism. A common problem with vegan diets is a one-sided diet, which results in nutrient deficiencies. A one-sided diet and a lack of diversity in food groups can lead to too many or too few vital nutrients. A deficiency may not necessarily be externally visible, but it has a detrimental effect on physical and mental health and can lead to illness in the long term. A healthy diet focuses on the right combination and optimal ratio of ingredients to provide the body with the best possible nutrients.

The critical nutrients are listed here in order of importance to avoid nutritional errors.

1. Vitamin B₁₂ - the well-known classic
2. Vitamin D - a problem for "everyone"?
3. Iodine (iodine) - the vegan sources
4. Omega-6 fatty acids in relation to Omega-3
5. Calcium (calcium)
6. Something about zinc, biotin, soils with little selenium

With or without meat consumption, it is advisable to have certain parameters measured sporadically in your blood and/or urine. This can be done at the beginning of a dietary change and after one year for comparison, and thereafter depending on the results, to detect possible malnutrition.

In cases of significant deviations from a balanced, mixed diet, a physician trained in nutrition should occasionally assess the patient's nutritional status. However, physicians typically have no training in nutrition. Thus, they usually have little or no knowledge of nutrition, as they have been entrusted with the task of healing, not prevention. Furthermore, physicians typically believe the so-called scientific studies of the food industry and "animal agriculture," which have an interest in high protein intake. This began with the chemist Justus von Liebig, well-known for his development of artificial fertilizer, who subsequently developed a meat extract and turned it into a major business.

Doctors should be neither blind supporters of vegan diets nor outright critics. Choose a professional who has acquired sufficient knowledge of nutrition.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should carefully follow the instructions below to ensure healthy development of their infants. However, problems are rare.⁴

1. Vitamin B₁₂ - the well-known classic

Not everyone is aware that even meat eaters can develop a vitamin B₁₂ or cobalamin deficiency for various reasons. This is especially true for older people. The body has a well-organized recycling system for good reason. Even tiny amounts per meal are sufficient. The body can normally absorb only about 1-2 µg per meal. We also only need 2-3 µg per day . We have a storage capacity for 3-5 years.

Nevertheless, there are common and often undetected deficiencies in vitamin B₁₂ or cobalamin in the body, thus clearly constituting nutritional deficiencies. Vegans consume a lot of vitamin B₆, which conceals the lack of vitamin B₁₂. A 2010 study shows that 52% of vegans have a vitamin B₁₂ deficiency, with levels of less than 118 pmol/l.¹⁵ A recent survey from 2021 confirmed this. Vegans have a significantly lower vitamin B₁₂ intake (0.2-0.5 µg per day) than omnivores.⁴³

Even a slight deficiency causes the body to suffer silently. A deficiency can weaken or even shorten our lives without us noticing. It usually takes many years for problems to manifest. However, it's tragic during pregnancy and breastfeeding when levels are not right. Cobalamin primarily functions in cell division, blood formation, and the functioning of the nervous system. In the long term, a deficiency can lead to dementia and neuropathy.

The body cannot produce vitamin B₁₂ itself; it must be obtained from food. A protein called "intrinsic factor," or IF for short, is required for absorption. The stomach produces IF, which acts as a transporter for vitamin B₁₂. In the terminal ileum of the small intestine, the vitamin B₁₂ bound to IF is absorbed. Accordingly, we require intact production of the glycoprotein IF and a well-functioning small intestine.

"Vitamin B₁₂" is actually a coenzyme (cofactor), not the vitamin itself. Vitamin B₁₂ has cobalt as its central atom and is therefore also called cobalamin. Bacteria synthesize vitamin B₁₂, including in our large intestine. Unfortunately, we can no longer absorb vitamin B₁₂ there.

An extremely small proportion of dietary cobalamin, approximately 1 to 3%, enters the bloodstream through a nonspecific mechanism via the gastrointestinal tract or oral mucosa without prior binding to IF. With natural intake, this is completely negligible, as the amounts are so small. However, with high oral intake as a substitute, this passive cobalamin absorption becomes increasingly important, for example, when taking vitamin B₁₂ via a mouth spray.

Vegans, vegetarians, and all older people need to take special measures to ensure they get enough vitamin B₁₂. Vitamin B₁₂ is available in various forms of cobalamin.

Traces of vitamin B₁₂ are found in vegetables preserved by lactic acid fermentation, some types of algae, and legumes such as peas, beans, lupins, and Zingiberales such as ginger.¹⁹ It was long believed that certain plants or the bacterium spirulina also contained vitamin B₁₂, until it was discovered that these were analogues. Spirulina maxima is a species of cyanobacteria (formerly known as "blue-green algae") and thus contains a pseudovitamin B₁₂. This occupies the same receptors but does not exert a vitamin B₁₂ effect; instead, acting as an antagonist, it is more likely to be harmful.

How can I avoid a vitamin B₁₂ deficiency? We can prevent a deficiency, for example, by sucking on a suitable tablet every day or using a spray. 1 mg/day is appropriate for this passive cobalamin absorption.²⁰ Alternatively, a 1 ml injection of cobalamin every six months is used, if possible with the biologically active form: adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl or extrinsic factor) or methylcobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin. The latter has a shorter half-life in the body and the organism must metabolize it, excreting minimal amounts of hydrogen cyanide. To administer the injection, you go to your family doctor or, like the author of this article, do it yourself: I inject cobalamin into my abdominal fat, but I use a dentist's needle with a diameter of 0.4 mm instead of 0.8, 0.9, or even 1.2 mm, which I only use for drawing up.

The homocysteine level in the blood is used as a measurement. However, an elevated level can indicate several possible causes: vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and/or folic acid deficiency. Determining vitamin B₁₂ in the blood is cheaper, but not a reliable value. If a deficiency is suspected, the concentration of methylmalonic acid (MMS or MMA) in the urine can be tested. The creatinine level in the urine compensates for dilution effects. Additionally, holotranscobalamin is measured in the serum. Only if the cause is not dietary is the Schilling test or DUST used to investigate the cause.

Herbivorous mammals obtain vitamin B₁₂ in very different ways. For example, bacteria in the cecum of rabbits produce the necessary vitamin B₁₂. They eat these globules of cecal feces directly from the anus (see caecotrophy).¹⁶ Coprophagy is the name given to a similar behavior, for example, in rodents and dogs. Gorillas and bonobos also eat some of their feces or soil.¹⁷ Cows get the bacteria from grass, which has occasionally been given natural fertilizer.

In the past, drinking water and vegetables weren't as hygienic as they are today—and that was enough. Evidence of this is Jainism, with several million followers who are among the most economically successful people in India. Jains have lived a vegetarian lifestyle for over 2,500 years, without "killing" plants (ahimsa). A minority of Jains are vegan.¹⁸

For more information, read the nutritional information for Vitamin B₁₂ (Cobalamin).

2. Vitamin D – a problem for everyone?

Vitamin D is involved, among other things, in our bone metabolism. A possible deficiency affects all people in temperate zones. The body needs direct sunlight (UV-B radiation) to produce vitamin D. After about 20 minutes of appropriate UV-B radiation without sunscreen, the daily requirement is met, and the synthesis of vitamin D ceases. Diet provides only a fraction of the required vitamin.

Even in winter, we get enough vitamin D if we expose ourselves to the sun at altitudes of 1,500 m (or higher). Below this altitude, the angle of incidence in winter is such that there is too much air mass between the sun and us, and the effect is lost. In the flat regions of Central Europe, solar radiation from October to March is not intense enough to allow sufficient vitamin D production. The half-life of our reserves is approximately three weeks.

Dermatologist Dr. Richard Weller explains in a TED talk (English, German subtitles available) why a certain amount of sunlight is so important for us. UVA lowers blood pressure and thus helps against cardiovascular disease, while UVB provides us with the vitamin D we need. In the talk, he emphasizes how important UVA radiation is for our health, as deaths from cardiovascular disease occur hundreds of times more often than deaths from skin cancer. You can find the study "Is sunlight good for our heart?" in the Oxford Academic European Heart Journal. A good balance of UV rays is important, because neither pills nor diet alone can compensate for a vitamin D deficiency.²¹

Diet provides 10 to 20% of the total vitamin D requirement. Mushrooms (e.g., shiitake ) and avocados (DEBInet 3.43 µg/100g) in particular contain significant amounts. The WHO (2004) recommends a dietary intake of 5 µg/day for children and adults up to the age of 50, 10 µg/day for children up to the age of 65, and 15 µg/day thereafter.

The following study shows that the average vitamin D level in Germany is only 16 ng/ml: Cross-sectional study to estimate vitamin D status in the German population ( DEVID study, Kipshoven & Christoph, dissertation 2010). However, this area is the subject of much controversy, as supplements are big business. Daily intakes significantly higher than 4000 IU lead to a higher incidence of cancer – as does vitamin D deficiency.

To determine the 25-OH vitamin D₃ level, a drop of blood taken from a fingertip or a venous blood sample taken by a physician is sufficient. Measuring the 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D level is unsuitable for determining vitamin D status. Mail-in kits are available for home use, allowing you to view the results online after two days. These are, of course, controversial.

Drug manufacturers recommend a 25(OH)D level between 35 and 60 ng/ml. This corresponds to 87 to 150 nmol/l. However, 88 ng/ml and above increase mortality. In all observational studies, a 25(OH)D level between 60 and 100 nmol/l (24-40 ng/ml) is associated with the lowest mortality risk.

3. Iodine (Iodine) - the vegan sources

Iodine is important for producing the thyroid hormones _T4 and _T3. Most countries have taken various measures to ensure that the population gets enough iodine with a normal diet. Iodine is often added to table salt and also finds its way into many foods via the food industry. Daily iodine requirement: 150 µg (200 µg for pregnant women) according to the US RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) and EFSA, 2014. (The DA-CH reference values (2015) are slightly higher: 180 for 18-50 year olds, 230 for pregnant women, 260 for breastfeeding women.) The recommended maximum amount per day is 500 µg (DA-CH, 2015). Anything above this is toxic for most people in the long term. The Japanese, for example, have about twice the tolerance.

Those who eat natural foods, meaning they don't add iodized salt, must ensure they consume sufficient iodine. Regular salt in Germany contains approximately 2500 µg per 100 g (or a maximum of 3000 µg/100 g), which, assuming approximately 5 g of salt per day, corresponds to 75-125 µg of iodized table salt. Thus, iodized salt in Germany provides approximately one-third of the total iodine recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). (BfR, February 9, 2021)

The text on the brown algae bladderwrack reports: 1 g of bladderwrack contains 276 µg, which is slightly more than the daily requirement, but is still harmless. The iodine content can be reduced by over 95% by soaking for several hours with water changes and/or by boiling. EE: The brown algae wakame, on the other hand, is an acceptable source if you pay attention to frequency and amount (4200 (fresh) to 16,800 (dried) µg/100g). The ideal amount for dried wakame is 1 to a maximum of 2 grams/day (1 heaped teaspoon, max. 2) if you don't consume (iodized) salt. In contrast, red algae, such as nori sheets, contain only around 300 µg/100g, or 50 times less.

Since the body stores 10,000 to 20,000 µg, which is far more than a month's needs, it's easy to cover iodine needs even just once a month. If you understand this issue, iodine isn't a problem. You can find the values for the most popular ingredients, such as brown algae, spirulina, and red algae, in our nutrient tables. You can then create a plan to ensure you get enough iodine. Please note the different concentrations of raw, dried, and cooked algae.

Other foods also contain traces of iodine. Unfortunately, the authorities don't require declaration, so information is often missing.

However, the total iodine intake per month should not exceed 15,000 µg (15 mg), including any iodized salt. This can happen if you consume dried products such as "Assi Brand Dried Seaweed," "Eaglobe Dried Seaweed Sheets," or "Eaglobe Dried Seaweed," warns Stiftung Warentest. ²² They advise Europeans against consuming these algae.

With adequate intake, urinary excretion should be more than 75 µg iodine per gram creatinine.^23,24

4. Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet (oils, nuts, seeds)

It wasn't until around the turn of the millennium that the acute problem arose that vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists generally have a poorer balance of the two essential fatty acids than those who eat a mixed diet (normal food, omnivorous diet). Linoleic acid (LA), the omega-6 fatty acid, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA for α-linolenic acid), the omega-3 fatty acid, should ideally be in roughly equal proportions (1:1). In simple terms, this means that after conversion in the body, LA tends to promote inflammation, while ALA prevents inflammation. Science also specifies n-6:n-3 intake ratios, meaning n or ω instead of omega.

In Japan, a ratio of 2:1 was still seen in the mid-20th century. In industrialized countries, people would be happy to achieve a ratio of 4:1 or 5:1 instead of approximately 10:1 or higher. ^25,26 Because this ratio is so important for health, several studies have specifically examined the situation of vegans—and have reached these results:

• Vegans < 14:1–20:1, vegetarians (lactoovovegetarians) < 10:1–16:1, omnivores < 10:1 (Davis 2003)³
• Vegans (n-6:n-3) 18.7:1 compared to omnivores 9.2 to 12.9:1 in 147 subjects (Mann 2006)³⁹
• Vegans 19.9:1, vegetarians 17.3:1 in 104 test subjects, about half each (Salvador 2019)⁴⁰
• Among more than 70,000 participants in the USA, strict vegetarians (possibly referring to vegans) showed a ratio of 19.5:1, with an average age of 59 years. (Rizzo 2013)⁴¹ What is striking in this study is the low obesity rate of 9.4% among vegans compared to 33.3% among omnivores; the average BMI with a vegan diet was 24.

Although the numbers vary between studies, vegans show twice as bad a situation regarding this ratio. Even a vegetarian diet with an average omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 10:1 promotes biochemical omega-3 tissue degradation.

A major mistake is consuming cooking oils and certain nuts with a dismal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. However, this knowledge only became widely discussed in the USA (around 2000). Even raw foodists are seduced by the oil cult, unaware that it shortens their lives and promotes inflammation and coronary heart disease (CHD). Long-term consequences of an excess supply of omega-6 fatty acids include inflammation and pain, "thicker" blood, higher blood pressure, less stable blood sugar, higher triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, more allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia including Alzheimer's, digestive problems, depression, etc.²⁷

Graphic: Omega-3 fatty acids prevent cardiac deaths

Vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists alike get the building blocks they need to achieve the desired 1:1 ratio and fully cover their daily requirements for the essential omega-3 fatty acid ALA through Erb-Müesli . This muesli also has other beneficial effects – see the values in the three tables accompanying the recipe. Whether the body can produce sufficient EPA and DHA from ALA as we age is still an open debate – at least for the author. Probably not if the LA:ALA ratio is more than 5:1.

What happens to omega-3 fatty acids in the body? When needed, our body converts ALA, the only essential omega-3 fatty acid, into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and, where necessary, further into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both of these "non-essential" long-chain omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained directly from fatty fish. The evidence on the effects of EPA and DHA on physical and mental health has (finally) been clear in Europe at least since 2011: EPA and DHA are important for the development of the brain, eyes, and nerves, as well as for maintaining vision and normal brain function. EPA and DHA have anti-inflammatory and mood-enhancing effects, and they are important for blood and cellular health. Pregnant women have an increased need for EPA and DHA. Read the summary of studies published by the European Food Safety Authority ( EFSA ) in the EFSA Journal 2011,9(4):2078.⁴⁴

Nothing has only advantages or only disadvantages. The industry, for example, repeatedly manages to present one-sided studies—often only those that paint the oil in a positive light—and the media (often actually echo chambers) regularly push this information into the minds of consumers as free information.

The effects of excessive olive oil consumption are noticeable in the US, where the suffering is even greater than in Europe. Dr. Michael Klaper explains this in English in a YouTube video. He also exposes the completely false claims about the Mediterranean diet. We've compiled the most important recommendations of the Swiss Federal Nutrition Commission (EEK) from 2006 for olive oil. It's worth clicking on the link, as you'll find the ingredient tables there, as with every ingredient. You'll find even more details for coconut oil. Nutritionists recommend coconut oil, even though it contains the most saturated fat (82-92%)!

Dr. Michael Greger, MD, gets to the heart of the matter and describes the situation very transparently. Although his high-pitched voice and demeanor take some getting used to, don't let that fool you; his view as an advocate of an oil-free diet is very accurate. His lecture dates back to 2003—and little has changed since then!

Very few oils have a healthy ratio, such as linseed oil or flaxseed oil (1:3.7!), rapeseed oil (approximately 2:1), and walnut oil (4.6:1). Olive oil has a poor ratio of 11.6:1 – and this is in large quantities. Studies show that the greatest success rates for absolute risk reduction (ARR) are achieved with a fat consumption of 20% or less, measured against total calorie intake.

In general, it can be seen that processed foods, especially when it comes to fats and oils, create unhealthy conditions for technical reasons. There are very clear reasons for this. One key example is the formation of trans fats. ²⁸

The following books by doctors in the USA recommend avoiding oils altogether:

• The High-Carb Diet - Losing Weight with the Right Carbohydrates, Dr. John A. McDougall.
• Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet, Dr. med. Michael Klaper.
• Eating Against Heart Attacks: The Revolutionary Nutrition Concept, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn.
• How not to Die: Discover foods that extend your life – and are proven to prevent and cure disease, Dr. Michael Greger.
• The End of All Diets – Nutritious Weight Loss Without Starving, Dr. Joel Fuhrman.
• Power Foods for the Brain: An Effective 3-Step Plan to Protect Your Mind and Strengthen Your Memory, Dr. med. Neal D Barnard.

The aforementioned vegan-friendly American authors (including Dr. Dean Ornish and Prof. Dr. T. Colin Campbell) condemn not only vegetable oils but also sugar. While their views differ, they are generally unanimous in their opposition to added sugar, especially sugar-coated cereals and the "high fructose corn syrup" often found in processed foods. Not all of them address baking and frying. The goal is to eat to prevent heart attacks (Dr. Esselstyn's diet).

Prof. Dr. T. Colin Campbell writes on August 29, 2012: .... to remind ourselves that the proposition of using a whole-food, plant-based diet, with little or no added oil, sugar, and salt, is an amazingly productive story that has so much to offer.

5. Calcium (Calcium)

Calcium is an important building block for our bones and teeth. It is essential for the nervous system, muscles, cell wall stability, and blood clotting. If the body absorbs too little calcium through our diet, it draws the missing calcium from the bones. In the long term, calcium deficiency leads to osteoporosis (bone brittleness) and other symptoms.

Studies show that vegans have significantly lower calcium intake compared to people with other diets (vegetarian or mixed diets). Therefore, vegans in particular should monitor their calcium status.^43,45

The dairy industry ensures that calcium requirements are calculated generously. For example, the reference value (DA-CH) is between 1000 and 1200 mg per day, while the NHS in England assumes 700 mg. This is also well-founded.²⁹

Calcium intake is significantly higher in industrialized nations (Northern Europe: 1000 mg/day) than in countries such as Africa or South America (400-700 mg/day).⁴⁶ According to WHO, specific requirement calculations mainly refer to industrialized countries (Australia, UK, Europe, Canada, USA). It is striking that diseases such as osteoporosis and hip fractures are more common in wealthier countries than in poorer countries. This is linked to the higher consumption of animal products and calcium. Genetic and geographical factors also influence the incidence of these diseases.⁴⁷

The body utilizes approximately 30-40% of dietary calcium. However, if the body has sufficient vitamin D, absorption is improved. The main cause of calcium loss and its excretion in the urine is excessive protein intake (phosphates). Phosphate combines with calcium to form solid calcium apatite. Phosphate levels are closely related to calcium levels. Dairy products, meat, and eggs, in particular, cause the greatest calcium loss due to their high content of sulfur-containing amino acids (amino acid metabolism) and sodium. Other calcium antagonists or calcium killers besides phosphates are oxalates, phytin, fiber, alcohol, and coffee.³²

In 2001, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court therefore ruled that the dairy industry could no longer use the slogan "Milk makes strong bones" or "Milk gives strong bones." The message that the calcium contained in milk is effective against osteoporosis is also taboo in Switzerland.³⁰

If milk and dairy products are avoided, it can be assumed that the daily requirement and the necessary amount in the blood are likely to be lower for vegans than for omnivores. Incidentally, bone fragility only increases at less than 600 mg/day over a longer period.³³

Practically, all natural spices contain a lot of calcium, usually more than 1% of their weight ( dried basil, for example, 2240 mg/100g), but we only consume small amounts. Poppy seeds also have 1438 mg, sesame 975 mg, stinging nettle 713 mg, chia seeds 631 mg and mustard seeds 520 mg. Almonds and flax seeds contain around 250 mg. Soybeans, various leaves, nutmeg and garlic follow with 277 mg. Beans, amaranth (around 160 mg), kale, wakame, turmeric and arugula contain around 150 mg. Wasabi, watercress, spirulina and hazelnuts provide slightly less, and milk contains 123 mg.

Peanuts, pistachios, broccoli, pak choi, walnuts, chives, and macadamia nuts contain approximately 100 mg/100g. Numerous vegetables, seeds, and nuts provide half that amount. Because of oxalic acid, we absorb little from rhubarb, chard, and spinach —despite their high levels.

The above values show that vegans who eat a natural diet and also consume plenty of vegetables, spices, herbs, and seeds/nuts can easily cover their calcium needs. Furthermore, these are usually alkalizing foods that don't flush calcium out of the body, as is the case with dairy products.

You can also supplement your calcium intake with various types of mineral water with a high calcium content. This is usually stated per 100 ml. Theoretically, you could cover your entire daily calcium requirement with 2 liters of certain mineral waters. However, you should be careful about the calcium content, which can vary from 1 mg/100 ml to more than 60 mg/100 ml.

Tap water (soft natural drinking water) as an example: Meggen from the mountain spring has 41.3 mg/l (or 4.1 mg/100 ml) of calcium at a pH of 7.93. This is 12 times less than a select mineral water. At least in Switzerland, drinking water varies greatly, from approximately 0.2 mg/100 ml to 15 mg/100 ml. There are a few exceptions, such as Schaan with 41 mg/100 ml. Also pay attention to the magnesium content. This website shows the drinking water quality for Swiss towns.

It is important to ensure that young children have a good, natural supply of calcium.

A 24-hour total urine test indicates the level of calcium supply. Normally, calcium levels in total urine range between 100 and 300 mg/day. A blood sample can also be used to determine this: A normal calcium level is between 8.5 and 10.2 mg/dl.

6. Something about selenium, biotin & co and zinc

A varied vegan diet provides just enough selenium, but it's rare in areas with selenium-poor soils. Several European countries have selenium-poor soils, as do parts of China and other countries. As we show with the "recipe" for daily selenium intake, two to a maximum of four Brazil nuts cover the daily requirement if they come from Bolivia. However, read the ingredient "Brazil nuts" to find out why this daily amount could cause selenium poisoning in nuts from Brazil. The maximum is never the optimum. This is especially true for selenium and iodine, because tolerance is narrow and the good carriers contain very different amounts.

Vegans also get enough of the other B vitamins, but with niacin (formerly vitamin B₃), pantothenic acid (B₅) and possibly riboflavin (B₂) the coverage can be scarce or just sufficient. Biotin (B₇) is usually consumed in too small quantities. There is still disagreement among scientists as to the amount of biotin the body can use. The European RDA states 50 μg/day as the desirable biotin intake for healthy adults, but 150 μg/day was previously the recommended daily intake. In general, one can say that biotin deficiency caused by a diet low in biotin has hardly been described. Of course, infants are an exception if they are given a ready-made formula made up of individual nutrients that does not contain biotin for an extended period.

Nevertheless, 100 g of hazelnuts or sunflower seeds cover over 100% of your biotin needs, and the latter half of your niacin needs. 50 g of dried porcini mushrooms would also cover your daily requirement—including half your daily zinc needs. 10 g of sea buckthorn berries per week cover your niacin needs.

An all-clear

Vegans who eat a natural and varied diet get just enough zinc, similar to the aforementioned substances riboflavin (vitamin B₂), niacin (formerly vitamin B₃), and pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅). It's rather surprising to hear texts that describe folate or folic acid (formerly vitamins B₉ and B₁₁ ) as problematic, since vegans tend to get excess amounts of these even if they eat a healthy diet.

They even provide an excellent supply of essential amino acids—with the exception of methionine, which is usually barely met. However, even vegans get enough L- cysteine to compensate. Sunflower seeds, walnuts, and legumes are good sources.

Interestingly, iron is well covered when you add up the vegan recipes on the website diet-health.info and calculate the daily intake. There, you'll find tables for virtually every ingredient for the essential nutrients.

7. Creatine is also an issue

Vertebrates produce creatine and store it primarily in their skeletal muscles. Fish and meat are sources of creatine, and milk contains small amounts. Creatine in the form of creatine phosphate is used for muscle contraction but also influences brain and nerve functions. Adults store between 120 and 150 g of total creatine in their bodies and use around 1.5 to 2% of this per day, which we excrete as creatinine in the urine. The body can also produce creatine itself without dietary intake. Vegans have very low creatine levels in their blood plasma because their bodies must produce (synthesize) it exclusively themselves. The standard value is obtained from omnivores (everything eaters, mixed eaters), and this is the only reason for this. To synthesize creatine, our body needs the essential amino acids glycine, methionine, and arginine, as well as three enzymes: L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT), methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT), and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT). B vitamins—including vitamin B12 _— are also involved in the process. Even for non-vegans, it's important to monitor your blood homocysteine levels to avoid hyperhomocysteinemia. People with certain genetic defects (AGAT and GAMT), a lack of creatine kinase, or certain very rare diseases (such as creatine deficiency syndrome) must receive creatine supplementation.³⁸

Life expectancy and future

Thanks to enormous medical advances since World War II, we have been able to repeatedly improve our life expectancy. This is despite the fact that most people have not recognized the flaws in modern eating and lifestyle habits.³⁴ The result is a growing number of people with poor health and significant limitations – rather than good health in old age.

Above all, the excess of protein from meat and grains is causing lifestyle diseases and obesity. We prefer to hear seductive predictions about increasing life expectancy rather than address the reasons that are leading our affluent society toward degeneration.

Much better would be suggestions on how we can truly eat healthily – even as vegans. Or especially as vegans? But there's probably no area that is more controversially discussed than eating habits. And there's good reason for that. In short: Salt, sugar, and fat can be used to create best-sellers that hit our "bliss point." This is the site of highest desire in the amygdala, in the core region of our brain. It links results with emotions. Our brain then releases endorphins, opioid peptides that act like opiates.

Agriculture and the food industry have the money and the power to lure us with such products every day. They also have a strong influence on politics. Advertising revenue is essential for the media. Doctors are usually unfamiliar with nutrition. It's lacking in their studies, and there's not enough time afterward. Family and society also "determine" us.³⁵

"Blue zones" are certain geographical areas where many people reach old age. There are reports that, in addition to high vegetable consumption and strong social ties, certain genetic markers are also said to guarantee a long, healthy life. However, these regions often have large gaps in the exact age recording of residents, which greatly reduces the credibility of the exact age of the people living there.⁴²

Please click the "CLICK FOR" button below for a short introduction to each of the exceptionally successful vegan athletes: Brendan Brazier (ultramarathons); Scott Jurek with 3489 km of the Appalachian Plateau (Appalachian Trail, Appalache) in 46.5 days; and Patrik Baboumian with world records in stemming.

Outstanding athletes can also be found in the very convincing documentary" The Game Changers" by Oscar winner Louie N. Psihoyos. January 2018. Wikipedia: The film focuses primarily on athletes, many of whom previously relied on a meat-rich diet to achieve top performance. They answer questions such as how switching to a purely vegan diet affected their performance and their lives. ... James Cameron (three-time Oscar winner), Jackie Chan, Pamela Anderson and Novak Djokovic, among others, appeared as executive producers. Numerous top vegan athletes spoke to us, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrik Baboumian, Lewis Hamilton, James Wilks and Dotsie Bausch.

Omnivores are more likely to have problems with these five nutrients

As mentioned above, Vegans who eat a natural and varied diet get just enough zinc, riboflavin (vitamin B₂), niacin (formerly vitamin B₃), and pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅). Just enough means that those who don't eat a balanced diet may not get enough in the long run. The risk is higher for omnivores. If we look at the foods rich in these substances, we understand why omnivores are more likely to suffer from deficiencies in this area.

1. Zinc is mainly found in nuts (walnuts, pecans), legumes (lentils), mushrooms and yeasts.
2. Riboflavin ( vitamin B₂ ) is mainly found in vegetables such as legumes, broccoli, asparagus or spinach.
   Yeast, nuts (almonds), mushrooms, and oilseeds also provide high levels of riboflavin. Pregnant women and alcoholics should ensure they consume an average of 1.5 mg of riboflavin per day. Determining the erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient with the EGRAC test would indicate a deficiency. Riboflavin and FAD levels correlate with nutritional status. The proportion of holo-glutathione reductase to total glutathione reductase would also correlate.
3. Niacin, or nicotinic acid (formerly vitamin B₃ ), is primarily found in peanuts (preferably raw and unsalted!), wheat bran, dates, mushrooms, brewer's yeast, legumes, and dried apricots. However, the body can produce niacin itself using the amino acid tryptophan—and vegans who eat a balanced diet get a lot of it.
4. Pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅ ) is found mainly in legumes (lentils), avocado, amaranth, cereals (brown rice), chicory, sweet potatoes, etc.
5. Folic acid (folate) was formerly known as vitamin B₉, vitamin B₁₁, or vitamin M. Vegans, at least those who are committed to it, eat more than enough yeast, whole grains, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, and/or various seeds. All of these are rich in folate. Folic acid deficiency is not a problem for vegans who eat naturally, but primarily for omnivores.

You'll immediately notice that consuming legumes provides all five nutrients. These include beans, peas, peanuts, chickpeas, lentils, sweet peas, soybeans, and lupins.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (2021) cites the recommendations of the D-A-CH countries for a daily intake of 300 µg folic acid (2018); for women attempting to conceive, the periconceptional intake is assumed to be around 550 µg. Periconceptional means "all around," which here means before, during, and after pregnancy (= while breastfeeding). According to the D-A-CH recommendations, 450 µg per day is sufficient for breastfeeding women.

A deficiency in folic acid or the other substances mentioned above can be detected by elevated levels of homocysteine in the urine. A histidine stress test allows the diagnosis of folic acid deficiency. Unfortunately, too much folate can also mask a vitamin B₁₂ deficiency.

Iron - especially women should pay attention

Vegans who eat a varied diet are well supplied with iron; much better than omnivores who eat a one-sided diet. The body can obtain iron from foods such as green leafy vegetables, beetroot (beetroot, turnip greens), cress, whole grain products, pulses, and nuts. When combined with vitamin C, for example in peppers, cauliflower, or broccoli, or in a glass of orange juice, the iron from plant products is more easily absorbed. Due to the high amount of vitamin C that vegans receive, trivalent iron can also be converted into divalent iron in greater quantities. Omnivores get iron from meat and eggs.

Now you should know the answer to the question: Is a vegan diet harmful to your health? With this knowledge in mind, a vegan diet is not unhealthy, but on the contrary – extremely healthy!

Avoid nutritional errors by checking the ingredient tables in our daily and weekly menus, recipes, and ingredients. You'll also find the most important health information between the title and image on those pages.