|
VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCY
Those who adapt to a strict vegan lifestyle should be aware of their
susceptibility to being deficient of some essential vitamins and minerals,
despite the amount or variety of food they may consume. Vegan diets tend to
be low in (click on substance to see signs/symptoms of deficiency):
It is important that vegans supplement their diets with these vitamins and
minerals, especially those who are pregnant and lactating who must also
supplement their diet with iron. The most common cause of vitamin B12
deficiency in infants is maternal dietary deficiency, which in infants can
manifest with developmental delays and neurologic deficits.
In the March 23, 2000 New England Journal of Medicine, there was a case report
of severe bilateral optic neuropathy with very poor vision, central scotoma,
dyschromatopsia, and atrophy of the optic disc in a man who had been on a
strict vegan diet for 13 years without any vitamin supplementation. Among
many vitamin deficiencies found in this patient, low levels of vitamin B12
and B1 were thought to be associated with these specific symptoms.
|
