WORLD
Vegan lifestyle can increase risk of heart disease
Baku, August 17 (AZERTAC). Vegans may not be immune to heart disease suggest researchers.
Though meat eaters are at higher risk for atherosclerosis, scientists say strict vegetarians may be lacking important nutrients that also put them at risk for heart attack and stroke.
The findings come from a review of dozens of articles published over the last 30 years that suggest a vegan diet supplies adequate protein but may be lacking in iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids that are important for vascular health.
Researchers say vegans tend to have lower levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and higher levels of homocysteine that put them at risk for heart disease.
Findings from the study, many of which were observational, led the researchers to conclude "vegetarians, especially vegans, could benefit from increased dietary intake of n-3 PUFA and vitamin B12 and thus improve the balance ratio of n-3 to n-6 PUFA and vitamin B12 status" that would in turn reduce the chances of developing blood clots and cardiovascular disease.