It is common to think that people who are vegans and vegetarians are immune to heart diseases because these diets are known to reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases.
Some of the benefits of having a vegan diet according to Good Food include;
- Supports blood sugar control
- Reduces the risk of diabetes complications
- Reduces the risk of certain cancers
- Beneficial for gut health
- Anti-inflammatory
- Supports healthy skin
- Nutritious way of eating
However, according to George Jacobs, a former Vegetarian Society president, an unprocessed, plant-based diet, may only minimise concerns, not completely eliminate them.
George shared his story on the Channels News Asia publication, of experiencing a heart attack after being a committed vegan for a long time.
He stated that he maintained a healthy diet, avoiding processed plant foods and he was not a “junk food vegan”, he didn’t even eat vegan sweets. “Despite this exercise and my diet, my weight rose slowly but surely as I reached 70 years of age in 2022, with a body mass index of 24.2. My cholesterol level was higher than it should have been.”
There are several research writings by health experts that prove George’s situation to be true;
A study published by the MDPI on “The Effect of a Vegan Diet on the Cardiovascular System'” stated that while a vegan diet is considered healthy, it can lead to higher levels of essential amino acids, particularly homocysteine, a risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. The study has proven that this can result in hyperhomocysteinemia, leading to cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes. Plant foods lack sufficient vitamin B12, causing further deficiency.
“In this regard, and as previously stated, while plant foods provide various nutrients, including dietary fibre and phytochemicals, they do not contain enough vitamin B12 to meet the needs of their consumers, leading to severe deficiency.”
The American Chemical Society states that vegans “who try to eat no meat or animal products of any kind,” have a high risk of blood clots and atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries,” which is a disease that can result in heart attacks and strokes. “That’s the conclusion of a review of dozens of articles published on the biochemistry of vegetarianism during the past 30 years. The article appears in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.”
Also see: Risks and benefits of committing to a carnivore diet
