Disadvantages of the vegetarian diet

The human body needs a varied and balanced diet consisting of carbohydrates, proteins and fats and vitamins. The biggest disadvantage of a vegetarian diet is therefore the risk of deficiencies. However, this plays a much greater role in the vegan diet than in the non-vegan vegetarian diet.

Protein and vitamin deficiencies in particular can lead to serious health problems with a vegan diet. Today, there is such a wide variety of vegetarian or vegan food products available that a restriction of food choice can hardly be cited as a disadvantage of a vegetarian diet. However, a relative disadvantage is certainly that a vegetarian diet is often associated with higher costs.

Also the costs for possibly necessary food supplements – especially with vegan nutrition – should not be disregarded. The human body needs three main nutritional components: Carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The protein intake is mainly covered by meat consumption.

It is therefore important that people who eat a vegetarian (non-vegan) diet make sure that the necessary amount of protein is provided by other means. For vegetarians who do not forgo dairy products, a sufficient protein intake is usually provided by regular consumption of dairy products. For vegans and ovo-vegetarians a protein deficiency can become a problem.

In this case, other protein sources such as nuts, seeds, legumes, soya products and cereal products have to be replaced daily. The recommended daily amount of protein is approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Furthermore, a vegetarian diet can lead to iron deficiency since iron is mainly contained in animal products.

An iron deficiency leads – depending on its severity – to anaemia with the corresponding symptoms such as tiredness, weakness, paleness, concentration disorders and weakening of the immune system. Iron sources for vegetarians are cereal products, green vegetables, potatoes, millet (particularly rich in iron) and nuts.The simultaneous intake of vitamin C, as contained in fruit and fruit juices, for example, promotes iron absorption in the body. With Veganern plays further a lack of calcium a possible role since calcium is contained particularly in milk products.

The necessary calcium quantity must be supplied thus by other calcium suppliers such as Sesam, Brokkoli, green cabbage, leguminous plants, fruit and nuts. Also Vitamin D must be supplied with vegetarians and Veganern often as food auxiliary means since it occurs particularly in fish and margarine. In a vegan diet, a lack of B vitamins also plays a decisive role.

Here in particular vitamin B12 is to be called. Vitamin B12 is found in dairy products, but hardly at all in vegetable products. With conversion to a purely vegane nutrition the body eats first still from its Vitamin B12 memory. If this is used up, however, symptoms such as tingling sensations, tiredness, irritability and anaemia can occur. Vitamin B2 preparations should therefore be taken regularly by vegans to cover their vitamin B12 requirements.