Vegetarian and vegan diets may pose heart risks

Individuals who adhere to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle may be at an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis and blood clots. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries and it is a condition that can lead to stroke and heart attacks.

This is the conclusion of an analysis of numerous articles published on vegetarianism biochemistry for the past 30 years. The publication can be read in the Agricultural and Food Chemistry of ACS journal.

In the review, Duo Li informs that people who eat meat are known for having notably increased combination of heart problems when compared to vegetarians. However, lower-risk vegetarians are not really immune to this problem. Their diet has the tendency to lack numerous important ingredients such as vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Although a balanced vegetarian meal can offer sufficient protein, this is not always the case in terms of fat and fatty acids. Vegetarians tend to deal with increased blood levels of homocysteine as well as lower levels of HDK, which is a good type of cholesterol. This places them at risk for cardiovascular disease.

In conclusion, there is a potent scientific ground for vegans and vegetarians to increase their daily omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 allocation to help lower those risks. Salmon and other oily fish, and many kinds of nuts provide a great source of omega-3s. Eggs, fortified milk and seafood are good sources of vitamin B12.