Vegetarian diet risks and nutritional concerns
The role dietary iron plays
One of the essential minerals necessary for the maintenance of good health is iron; and this is because iron happens to be one of the essential components utilised by and necessary for the production of haemoglobin (the oxygen carrying agent of red blood cells). In addition, iron is also prominently featured within the enzyme nitrogenase. The purpose of nitrogenase is to more readily accomplish the physiological process of converting environmental nitrogen into ammon or to use its proper name, nitrogen fixation.
Nitrogen fixation is essential for the sustaining and maintaining of human life because this process helps to provide the amino acids (which themselves are the fundamental building block of protein and itself; the requisite component found within all living cells within organisms) with the necessary raw materials to grow and exist.
Types of dietary iron
Dietary iron is found in both meat and plant based sources; however, dietary iron molecules which are present within meat sources of all descriptions are known as heme iron and this is significant because heme iron is more readily and efficiently absorbed into the blood than plant based iron. This in turn has significant consequences for the body.
Iron deficiency concerns that arise due to vegetarian diet
As a direct consequence of this, one of the potential complications that can arise from vegetarianism is the onset and development of Iron Deficiency Anaemia. Medical studies into the serum ferritin levels of both males and females who were vegetarian found that 27% of the women involved within the study and 5% of the men were far lower than their meat-eating peers.
Therefore, as a direct consequence of non-heme iron sources being absorbed in a less efficient manner than heme iron sources it is incumbent upon people who have committed themselves to a vegetarian diet to ensure that their daily consumption of iron sources are far higher.
Inhibitors of dietary absorption within the vegetarian diet
Particular caution must be exercised with regards to the actual sources of non-heme iron that the vegetarian diet will encompass; and the reason for this is that certain types of vegetables and plants have additional minerals and chemical elements present within them that specifically interfere with the absorption of the iron source by the gastrointestinal system.
Specifically, oxalates have been identified as being the main culprit in the inhibition of the absorption of non-heme based iron sources; this is due to the fact that oxalate will effectively bind together to the metallic ions of the iron source. This new compound will then manifest itself as a minute crystal which is then passed through the renal system of the body; and ultimately excreted via the urinal tract meaning that the iron source remains unabsorbed by the digestive tract.
Therefore, food stuffs which have high calcium content are to be avoided; as calcium has been identified as having a very high concentration of oxalates within it.
A workaround to this particular problem is to ensure that the food that happens to contain the non-heme source of iron is ingested along with food that either has a high content of Vitamin C or heme bound iron. The reason that Vitamin C is able to facilitate the absorption of the iron molecules from the plant source is due to the fact that it directly interferes with the binding process.
Vitamin B12 deficiency within vegetarian diet
Another nutrient that a vegetarian diet has been identified as being sorely lacking in is Vitamin B12, and this has prompted the National Institute of Health; a US based, independent advisory group concerned with public health issues to issue a public announcement about this very issue.
Vitamin B12 is a naturally occurring vitamin that is only to be found with animals; although it is possible to derive it from additional sources such as milk and eggs.
Studies conducted into the lifestyles and dietary impact that the vegetarian diet has upon the body has identified that statistically, the vegetarian population suffers from a much higher incidence of functional vitamin B12 deficiency; which itself was identified as being a materially contributing variable in the onset and development of the condition of hyperhomocysteinemia.
Hyperhomocysteinemia is itself a very worrying issue indeed; and in essence, it is a medical condition that is typified by extremely high concentration of the amino acid, homocysteine within the body.
The development of Hyperhomocysteinemia has been identified a significant contributing factor in the ultimate development of cardiovascular complications; including cardiac arrest, hypotension, stroke and blood clotting.
Deep vein thrombosis and inhibited wound healing have also been identified as additional complications and effects that may arise by virtue of the Hyperhomocysteinemia condition.
Pregnancy and foetus related vitamin B12 deficiency for expectant mothers on vegetarian diets
Pregnant women must be made aware of the potential side effects that maybe endured by their children as a consequence of the lifestyle of the mother; in particular, medical research has identified a causal relationship and direct correlation between the adherence to a very rigid and strict vegetarian diet and the onset of a health condition known as Macrocytic Anemia.
When a foetus suffer from macrocytic anemia, this means that the red blood cells do not have enough cells within them; and as such, this lack of the number of cells also has the secondary effect of impairing and limiting the amount of haemoglobin that is permitted to be carried throughout and within the cells at any given time.
If macrocytic anemia is left untreated, the it can cause retarded growth of the infant; as well as paleness of skin.
The protein deficiency myth
Opponents to the vegetarian diet have attempted to discredit it by claiming that vegetarians are at a higher risk of developing and suffering from protein-related nutritional deficiencies by virtue of the fact that their diet has a lower amount of protein. Although studies have identified that yes, vegetarian diets do have a minutely smaller amount of protein present within it; lacto-ovo vegetarians have no risk of developing these sort of conditions by virtue of the fact that eggs and dairy products contain sufficient levels of protein to support their amino acid requirements.
A vegetarian diet has a number of potential problems associated with it; thankfully however these can all be easily avoided and controlled.