A vegan or vegetarian diet may be useful for your health in specific ways. But cutting down an animal-based diet entirely may make you face some severe vitamin deficiencies. Certain essential nutrients stay behind in a vegetarian diet.
For most people living in a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, having enough protein may seem to be a problem. But that’s not true; there are some handful amount of plant-based protein sources. Though there are excellent reasons to go for a meat-free life, you could lack some serious nutrients by that.
The most common Vitamins that lack in a vegetarian diet are Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D. Here are some diseases you may develop if you lack these vitamins in your diet.
- Megaloblastic anemia
This deficiency is directly related to the blood cell count of the body. It causes less blood cell count with a larger size than usual. Symptoms of this disease may include fatigue, unwanted weight loss, constipation, and loss of appetite
If you are a vegetarian and you need enough Vitamin B12 to fuel your body, you can include soy milk and nutritional yeast to your diet.
- Mouth Ulcers and Glossitis
An inflamed tongue is caused by Glossitis. Your tongue tends to change color due to underlying conditions making it painful and swollen. Your taste buds will stretch out causing your tongue to look bumpy and popular. Studies represent that the deficiency of Vitamin B12 causes glossitis and taste buds stretching out.
Another symptom of deficiency of Vitamin B12 is the feeling a pricking sensation inside your mouth or tongue. An early-stage sign to tell you that you should take serious action is the swollen tongue.
- Breathlessness
If you are vitamin B12 deficient, you may also feel unwanted dizziness and lack of breath when you sit or lie down. It happens because your body is lacking in red blood cells. So, if you feel unusual breathing issues, you should consult the doctor.
- Atrophic Gastritis
The deficiency of Vitamin B12 also causes this disease. In this disease, your stomach is the main target, and the lining of your stomach becomes very thin, which leads to loss of gastric glandular cells.
- Rickets
One of the most common diseases caused by the deficiency of Vitamin D is Rickets. Rickets causes the bones to bend and become soft. Most African Americans are at a higher risk of getting this disease.
- Osteomalacia
Another problem you may face after being Vitamin D deficient is Osteomalacia. This disease causes the bones to become very weak, coming together with unusual body pain and muscle weakness.
- Systemic conditions
Vitamin D deficiency may cause several more medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune conditions and cancer. Multiple sclerosis can also occur rarely in Vitamin D deficient people.
- Cognitive impairment
Another disease that may form from the deficiency of Vitamin D is cognitive impairment. This develops in older adults which may cause them to have problems in remembering things; therefore, making them unable to learn new stuff.
- Lupus
Lupus is another disease caused by Vitamin D deficiency. Lupus disease includes rashes in different parts of your body and disease flares when exposed to sunlight.
- Thyroid diseases
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Grave’s disease are two of the major problems caused by Vitamin D deficiency. They can be excruciating with no visual symptoms at all.
Verdict
Therefore, a vegetarian diet has its blessing and advantages, but some essential vitamins are not present in the diets of vegetarians. Hence, to fulfil your body requirements, you should go for vitamin supplementation so that you continue a safe and healthy life without forming any disease.
