Feedback gathered from 2,700 vegetarian and vegan patients at 22 top hospitals found that both vegetarians and vegans tend to have abnormal blood sugar and insulin levels, an altered gut microbiome and abnormal blood cells in the brains of vegetarians and vegans.
In a press release from University of Cambridge and Harvard Medical School, Michael Roberts, MD, PhD, a professor of anatomy and cell biology at Harvard Medical School and postdoctoral fellow Teru Yumoto, PhD said: “Vegans and vegetarians really do do have health risks that they are not fully aware of.”
"If, for example, a vegan didn’t realize he or she had high blood sugar levels, they may not want to eat high-sugar foods."
In addition to creating unhealthy diets, you may be affecting your mental health. Michelle Santoro, a diabetic with hyperthyroidism, said going vegan often makes her anxious, and she’s worried that going through an infertility crisis or another medical problem could be linked to her anti-vegan lifestyle.
“He still eats chicken and eggs and wine,” she said. “Why didn’t he think of this before going vegan?”
Harmful effects of going vegan and becoming a vegetarian can occur when you live in an urban environment, which is why vegetarians and vegans don’t seem to be as at risk for diabetes and chronic diseases as people living in rural areas.
However, there may be another reason why vegetarians and vegans seem to be less at risk for chronic conditions like heart disease, which could be a good thing. Michelle said this is because she has adapted to going vegan and knows the risks and has learned how to deal with them.
“I actually eat less sugar, less fried food,” she said. “I could have a doughnut, but I don’t.”