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Review
. 2023 Feb 18;15(2):e35148.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.35148. eCollection 2023 Feb.

The Impact of a Vegan Diet on Many Aspects of Health: The Overlooked Side of Veganism

Atul Bali  1   2   3 , Roopa Naik  4
Affiliations
Review

The Impact of a Vegan Diet on Many Aspects of Health: The Overlooked Side of Veganism

Atul Bali et al. Cureus. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Vegetarianism in any of its various forms, particularly veganism, has been increasing in popularity over the past few years, especially among the young population in the United States. While several studies have shown that a vegan diet (VD) decreases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, veganism has been associated with adverse health outcomes, namely, nervous, skeletal, and immune system impairments, hematological disorders, as well as mental health problems due to the potential for micro and macronutrient deficits. The goal of this review article is to discuss the current literature on the impact and long-term consequences of veganism on vulnerable populations, including children, adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and fetal outcomes in strict vegan mothers. It also focuses on the many deficiencies of the vegan diet, especially vitamin B12, and the related increased risk of malignancies.

Keywords: bone mineral density; children adolescents; food and nutrition; maternal and fetal outcome; mental wellbeing; vegan diet.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Image of diverse dietary elements constituting a balanced diet with proportion sizes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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