I promise not to make this my life story.
But between 2009 and 2010, I tried being a vegetarian.
Of course, this is 2020, so I do not need to say I am not a vegetarian anymore, but the fact that I tried it gives me some moral right to write this article.
Ever since I quit that vegetarian lifestyle though, I rarely give that period of my life a thought. But whenever any thoughts about it drift to my mind, it is usually one of great profundity and it comes with a lot of regrets.
You will soon know why.
So, recently, the editorial team of Infovore Secrets have a discussion, and by the end of the discussion, it was clear our next topic will be on vegetarianism and its impact on brain health.
I swallowed hard and started preparing to write.
The editorial team never knew I was once a vegetarian.
But before writing, I needed to make a lot of research, which I proceeded to do. During my research, I realized a lot has happened during my 10 years absence from the vegan scene.
A lot. What I uncovered was gold. I wish I had the kind of information I have now when I proceeded on my vegetarianism experiment 10 years ago.
But it doesn’t matter anymore. We all grow in learning and experience. After all, I wasn’t who I was 10 years ago in other aspects of my life.
So I took this as a challenge to revisit vegetarianism again, but to revisit it in the light of my new knowledge; a knowledge that has now found a fitting niche within my personal experience.
So, let’s start with the basics.
Note: Let me make it clear – I was never a total vegetarian (a vegan). There are different levels to vegetarianism. Vegans are total vegetarians. I will explain better soon.
What Is Vegetarianism?
Vegetarianism is the voluntary abstinence from eating meat. It is the practice of a diet that excludes all animal flesh, including poultry, fish or crustacean.[1] Vegetarians refrain from eating meat for various reasons, including religious, health, and ethical ones.[1]
But note that this article will revolve around vegans, since their form of vegetarianism eschews all animal-based foods and diets.
Vegans eschew everything other kinds of vegetarians might tolerate. So because of that, vegans gain every health benefit that might be found in embracing a vegetarian lifestyle, but at the same time, they are hit the hardest by any harm to wellbeing that might occur as a result of embracing a vegetarian diet!
These are the types of vegetarian in brief:
1. Vegans (total vegetarians): Do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or any products derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, honey, and gelatin.[2] Some vegans would not use wool and leather products.
2. Lacto-ovo vegetarians: Do not eat meat, poultry, or fish, but do eat eggs and dairy products.[2]
3. Lacto vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, but do consume dairy products. [2]
4. Ovo vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but do eat eggs. [2]
5. Partial vegetarians: Avoid meat but may eat fish (pesco-vegetarian, pescatarian) or poultry (pollo-vegetarian).[2]
I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian.
Veganism Grows
Veganism is growing! Assuringly though, the growth of the movement do not portend a replacement of all meat-eaters anytime soon. But their growth nevertheless provokes some curiosity about why more people are joining this movement.
Between the year 2014 and 2017, the number of people identifying as vegans in the United States increased by 600%, [3] considering that there are around 375 million vegetarians on the planet, [4] with most of them residing in Asian and Western countries, that six-fold increase in the US alone calls for worry.
Why?
The reason we should be concerned is that willfully embracing vegetarianism comes with some nutritional sacrifice.
But hey, when we say “nutritional sacrifice”, die-hard vegans might argue we are wrong, that they can get all their nutritional needs from plant-based products alone!
But are they right too?
But of course, we can leave them alone and let them peacefully follow their choices. But it will be unfair from us to do that. This is because not all vegans are fully aware of what they stand to gain or lose by embracing a total plant diet, and we need to inform them.
Not all of them know!
Some embraced veganism due to health or economic reasons, and these set of people will naturally be prepared to accept any downside that might arise from a vegan diet.
But as for others, some just embraced it for the heck of it, or because of the mistaken belief that some lifestyles are guaranteed to be all gains for them since they are not hurting anybody in the process.
But this is a simplistic way of reasoning! Because what they are ditching are types of foods humans are naturally created to consume; foods which plays an important role in human growth and intellectual development.
Deciding to go vegan is guaranteed to eliminate some important nutrients in your diet. But what the nutrients are, and what their importance is to the brain and body health is what is unknown to many vegans.
I was a vegetarian, and the memory of what the lack of some important nutrients did to me over the period I practiced vegetarianism is still indelible in my mind.
If being a vegan will give you a nice tan or give you a third nostril, be assured that we at Infovore Secrets will not write about this, but veganism can badly damage your brain (and memory) in the long run, and this is why we are writing!
So how will it damage your brain? It is because you are eliminating or not getting enough of certain important nutrients in your body by being a vegan.
Let’s examine some of them:
Some Nutrients Vegetarians Might Be Missing
1. PROTEIN
Don’t be surprised protein comes first. Mundane? We think it will be best if we start with the basics.
Proteins not only make cells – which are the building blocks of life – possible, but they are also indispensable in almost everything organisms do.
It is said that protein functions in an organism range from “speeding up chemical reactions to playing a role in defense, storage, transport, cell communication, movement, or structural support.” [5]
Human beings (including vegans!) have thousands of unique proteins in their bodies. Now, each of these different protein types is created by various combinations of twenty known amino acids.
However, out of these twenty amino acids, eleven can be made by the human body, and nine can only be derived from what we eat.[5]
This means that some cells, tissues, and organs in our body can only continue living when we ingest certain proteins from certain food sources.
Now, many vegans believe they can derive all their protein needs from plant products if they can search and diversify their plant diet enough. This is not true at all.
While proteins can certainly be derived from some plants, there are serious doubts that protein from plant sources alone can ever be sufficient.
Please be informed that some certain proteins essential for the optimal brain and body health CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN ANIMALS ALONE! We’ll treat some of these protein/nutrients individually later in the article.
2. CHOLINE
Do you know what choline is? We bet you don’t.
It plays a role in helping to “transfer signals between (your) nerve cells” [6]
Choline is an essential dietary nutrient since our body produces so little of it. It is so essential that the US Institute of Medicine has been recommending minimum daily intakes of it since 1998.[7] And since 2016, the European Food Safety Authority has been doing likewise.
Choline is critical to brain health.[7] It is especially critical to fetal development and might be the reason the US Institute of Medicine has recommended 450 mg/day for pregnant women. [7]
Even though, some choline is produced by the human liver,[7] the amount produced is not enough to meet the requirements of the human body. So it has to be obtained through dietary means.
Choline is high – and primarily found – in beef, eggs, chicken, fish and dairy products. A low amount of choline can also be found in beans and nuts. [7]
Consuming vegetables and nuts only will probably never give you sufficient choline necessary for optimal brain functions. As far as lack of choline is concerned, being a vegan is tantamount to killing your brain cell by cell!
3. Vitamin B12
The hardship by which vegans can come across Vitamin B12 in their diet can never be likened to the ease by which meat-eaters get their own!
Looking for Vitamin B12 in a vegan diet is like looking for snow in the Sahara.
And yet, vitamin B12 is important for brain health! In fact, a study suspects a chronic lack of vitamin B12 might be responsible for brain atrophy in some of their subjects of study,[8] and according to the BBC, “the amount of B12 in a persons blood has been directly correlated with their IQ” [9]
Yet, this important Vitamin is only easily obtainable in animal products like dairy and eggs. [10] Some soy bean, algae and mushrooms do have it, [11] but these are not everyday foods.
Unless regular vitamin B12 supplements are taken, we are afraid every vegan turning up their nose at meat and eggs may be gradually unscrewing their intelligence bolt by bolt.
Lastly, even if you try to obtain B12 by taking supplements, it is possible your B12 supplement was manufactured from an animal source.
4. CREATINE
Many athletes are already aware of the reinvigorating benefit of creatine.
Creatine can be produced by our body, but a lot more needs to be obtained through our diet to take full advantage of its benefit.
Creatine is a nutrient that can be likened to brain fuel.
Our brain is an energy-guzzling organ, consuming up to 20% of our calories at rest, and “more when we are deep in thought”. [12]
To supply the needed energy for this demand, the body often turn to creatine for help: a non-essential amino acid naturally produced by the body to “provide a short swell in energy to cells that are working overtime”. [12]
Creatine is able to do this because it can be more readily utilized by the body, compared to glucose (which is the body and brain’s usual energy fuel) which takes a longer time to be converted from our food to usable glucose.
Meat, poultry, and fish are the primary sources of creatine. [13]
We will cite a study for you to fully understand the importance of creatine and why going vegan is a dangerous denial of this vital nutrient for the body.
A British research group tested cognition among a group of elderly volunteers. The tests were done with and without a creatine supplement being given to the volunteers. All in all, it was observed that “creatine supplements aided cognitive performance for those over 60 irrespective of diet.” [12]
Although you can get this compound from a supplement, we still believe nothing stops you from getting it directly from its primary source i.e. meat, poultry, and fish.
5. IRON
Iron has been proven to be crucial to cognitive functions.
In fact, some publications claim that its deficiency at any point in life can change “cognitive and behavioral functioning.”[14]
Where is iron found? In red meat, fish, and poultry [15] and in many other foods vegans eschew. While another form of iron can be obtained via plant-based sources and supplements, this doesn’t negate the better possibility of taking it as a food (and not as a supplement/drug).
6. TAURINE
Not much is known about taurine just yet. But it is commonly used in the caffeinated energy drink industries because it is believed it can provide a “cognitive boost” [9]
Taurine is found mainly in meat and seafood products. [9] Humans can’t make much of taurine within their own bodies, so humans can benefit from it by consuming such foods.
Other Nutrients Vegetarian Might Be Missing
Vitamin A, healthy fat, calcium and iodine are other beneficial nutrients for the human body that are largely missing from vegan diets.
These nutrients may be of benefit to the brain too; apart from their well-known benefit to other organs in the human body. Pitifully, they are part of what is being sacrificed on the altar of going vegan.
As for me, the new knowledge I gained in my research about the brain-helping nutrients missing from vegetarian diets has enabled me to make a better assessment of my vegetarian past.
If there is one memory that has never left me about my vegetarian period, it is the memory of a mood change that suddenly descended on me soon into my vegetarian lifestyle. The change was quite the opposite of my usual nature.
Over time, I became inexpressibly sad and moody, introspective and touchy. If the personality change was brought about by the deficiency (or overabundance) of a mood-altering substance in my brain, I may never know. But my adoption of a vegetarian lifestyle and subsequent personality change are too simultaneous to be a coincidence!
Anyway, the fog on my mind started lifting soon after I dropped off the vegetarian lifestyle. But I never stopped regretting the better use I could have put my mind and body to during that period if I have given it its natural fuel.
I now understand that all living things are made to consume each other, and you and I will be consumed in the end.
Conclusion
I have decided to live my life consuming animals and plants that will be beneficial to my existence. After all, I will be beneficial to some organism’s existence too sooner or later. It is certain.
When I do that, I am not going against any natural laws. I am just doing what is naturally expected of me.
Veganism appears not to be good for our health in the long run. I believe you should not deny your body what is needed for it to grow just because you want to be a part of a popular movement. I am sorry if this sounds offensive, but that is how I feel.
More importantly, if you are avoiding animal-based foods because you want to go green and help our planet, please note that many plant-based foods also have a great environmental impact.[16] I believe we should all be balanced in our approach to life issues.
Please let me know what you think about veganism in the comment box. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Hammed is a freelance writer who has been writing for many years. He enjoys writing, making graphic designs and hanging out with family and friends.
Frequently Asked Questions About Veganism and Brain Health
Does going vegan affect my brain health?
The most plausible answer is that it does. By going vegan, you are eliminating or not getting enough of certain important nutrients essential for optimum brain functioning. Even if you decide to take these missing nutrients through supplements, it is possible these supplements also have an animal origin.
Can I get all the nutrients I need from a plant-based diet?
No, you can’t. There are some nutrients in animal-based foods that are simply unavailable in plant-based foods, or that only exists in very small amounts in them. You may not get all the essential nutrients you need from eating only a plant-based diet.
How can I be a vegan and eat healthily?
Being a vegan itself is an unhealthy choice because many nutrients your body works with easily are deliberately denied to your body. If you want to be a vegan while getting all the nutrients you need, you will need to be taking extra supplements (Note that these are sometimes more expensive than food and may also have animal origins).
References:
1. Vegetarian! Definition and Description – www.pages.drexel.edu/~soa29/ (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
2. Becoming a vegetarian – https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
3. The Growing Acceptance Of Veganism – https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetforgrieve/2018/11/02/picturing-a-kindler-gentler-world-vegan-month/#57dbce772f2b (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
4. 375 million vegetarians worldwide. All the reasons for a green lifestyle – http://www.expo2015.org/magazine/en/lifestyle/375-million-vegetarians-worldwide.html (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
5. The Vegan and Vegetarian Protein Myth: Debunked – https://serc.berkeley.edu/the-vegan-and-vegetarian-protein-myth-debunked/ (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
6. The brain nutrient vegans need to know about – https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/health-49509504 (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
7. Vegan and Plant-Based Diets Worsen Brain Health – https://neurosciencenews.com/vegan-diet-brain-health-14845/ (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
8. Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18779510/ (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
9. How a vegan diet could affect your intelligence – https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200127-how-a-vegan-diet-could-affect-your-intelligence (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
10. Becoming a vegetarian – https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
11. How going vegan can affect your body and brain – https://www.insider.com/what-happens-to-your-body-brain-when-you-go-vegan-10-2019
(Retrieved 16-2-2020)
12. Does Vegetarianism Make You Dumber? – https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/you-illuminated/201102/does-vegetarianism-make-you-dumber (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
13. Is a Vegetarian Diet Bad for Your Brain? – https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-a-vegetarian-diet-bad-for-your-brain/ (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
14. Iron treatment normalizes cognitive functioning in young women. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17344500/ (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
15. 33 Iron-Rich Foods to Add to Your Diet – https://hemophilianewstoday.com/2018/03/01/33-iron-rich-foods-add-diet-2/ (Retrieved 16-2-2020)
16. Gray, Richard. “Why The Vegan Diet Is Not Always Green”. Bbc.Com, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200211-why-the-vegan-diet-is-not-always-green. Accessed 27 Feb 2020.
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