Vegan Health

10 recommendations and reviews from 10 people

• Referral from January 2, 2017
  

  underweargnome04 asked:

  Vitamin testing Can anyone recommend how to go about getting nutrient and vitamin testing done? Do I go through my regular physician or is there a site to find someone in your state that does it? Thanks

  

  AlbertoAru replied:

  VeganHealth.org has tons of info about it :)

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• Referral from March 1, 2015
  

  NZ V. asked:

  Can anyone help this person who has recently gone vegan with a family member and states: "We have noticed serious issues with our hair that have coincided with our changes in diet. We are losing hair and lots of it. Literally handfuls in the shower every morning..." Please if you have any ideas thanks Or if you know any online vegan nutritionists too that would be great thanks

  

  Silvia H. replied:

  This is a fragment from the book "Vegan for Life" by nutritionists Jack Norris (from veganhealth.org ) and Ginny Messina ( TheVeganRD ) especially dealing with hair loss: Vegan Diets, Minerals, and Hair Loss Every so often, we hear from women who believe that they have been losing hair since going vegetarian or vegan. While there are no studies of this issue in vegans, there is research on general nutrition factors and hair loss. Reasons for hair loss vary among individuals, and they are not necessarily related to diet. About one-third of all younger (premenopausal) women experience some hair loss at one time or another (and the vast majority of these women are not vegan). And it is an unavoidable fact of life that hair thins as we age. Women going through menopause may notice a significant thinning of their hair. Hair loss can be associated with certain medical conditions, including thyroid problems, so if you are convinced that you are losing hair at an unusual rate, it’s important to see a physician. Sometimes a dermatologist can diagnose the problem. Rapid weight loss can cause an increase in hair loss, and the hair growth should return to normal after the weight loss ceases. Women who become vegan sometimes initially lose weight quickly and this might account for the hair loss. At one time, there was a widespread belief that zinc deficiency was a common cause of hair loss, but zinc supplementation has not been shown to help. Some studies have linked low iron status to hair loss in women, and it is possible that iron levels that are at the lower end of normal may not support optimal hair growth. The essential amino acid L-lysine plays a part in the absorption of iron and zinc, and vegans who don’t eat many legumes could find themselves falling short on lysine. Iron supplementation alone doesn’t always increase iron stores. But in one study, iron supplementation plus a supplement of 1.5 to 2 grams per day of L-lysine increased iron stores and decreased hair loss by half.7 Other supplements, like excessive intakes of vitamin E and folic acid, can adversely affect hair growth. Finally, women who feel they are losing hair may choose to shampoo less frequently in the belief that this will preserve their hair. This hasn’t been shown to prevent hair loss. In fact, since everyone loses some hair on a daily basis, if you shampoo less often, you’ll see more hair in the tub each time you shampoo, which may convince you that you are losing more hair. If you believe you are losing more hair than usual, be sure to consider other factors first. If you’ve recently lost weight, gone through menopause, are shampooing less often, are dealing with increased stress, or have been taking supplements of vitamin E or folic acid, any of those might be the culprit. If you think diet might be the cause, you may want to have your iron levels measured.

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• Referral from January 20, 2015
  

  Alexis J. asked:

  If anyone has any links to peer-reviewed articles on veganism and breastfeeding and also veganism and child development- I would appreciate it. My husband is omni and barely tolerated my vegetarianism while pregnant and nursing. Last night he told me that he is not comfortable with my continuing veganism (after Veganuary) until I stop nursing. Our daughter is only 6 months old and I hope to let her wean herself so this could be a year or two. He also said he is not comfortable with us raising her as vegan because of "unknown risks or developmental issues". I am hoping to get some information that he would find valid in the hopes of being able to continue this lifestyle. I would be very sad otherwise. Also, he's truly a fabulous guy- just uninformed and wants the best for his daughter. I can't blame him for his skepticism when I have friends and family who are medical doctors who still ask me "where do you get your protein?".

  

  Ruth J. replied:

  Hi Alexis, veganhealth.org has a section on real vegan children you might find useful. I'm currently breastfeeding my 3 month old boy after 16 years as a vegan, and he's delightfully healthy and happy :-) Born at 9 pounds, he's now at 17 pounds and doing fabulously. My partner is omni, but is really pleased he's being brought up on a healthy vegan diet. Do message me if you ever want to chat. I have a few UK books on vegan kids with some references if you'd like them. Hugs to you and your family, xxx

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• Referral from December 7, 2014
  

  Mark L. asked:

  Is there a table of how much calcium iron protein etc needed by the average person and the best sources to get this from please..? Ty

  

  Sofía M. replied:

  There's no such thing as "the average person". Intake depends on gender, size and activity. I'm sure you can find the right amounts online :) Try veganhealth.org

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• Referral from June 5, 2014
  

  Marie J. asked:

  My doctor sent me an email that I need to take Vit. D about 2,000 units. My Vit.D is normal on the result which is 24ng/mL (20 -79ng/mL normal range) but she said it is slightly on the lower end. Any advice? Does anybody had the same situation? Any vegan doctor in kaiser u could recommend?

  

  Camilla K. replied:

  Jm Nelly, I wish I could tell you of a good primary doctor in Kaiser, but the only good one I've had, though not at all vegan, just retired. I will be seeing a new one and he did get a few good reviews so I will let you know. Do you mind me asking if y ou are having signs of low vit D? Jack Norris with vegan outreach is a vegan nutritionist, he might be someone to talk to or you can read about his thoughts on vegan nutrition and supplements http://www.veganhealth.org/ It appears that low D is common for many no matter the diet so you are not alone and there are easy fixes. Please keep us posted.

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• Referral from January 30, 2014
  

  Alice C. asked:

  Hi all, I want to print off some information about vegan nutrition to give to my dr. Can you give me any recommendations?

  

  Ian M. replied:

  For general advice for yourself, I always recommend http://veganhealth.org/. It's written by a vegan Registered Dietitian, and I'm impressed by how rigorously evidence-based it is. (Whereas I've read a couple of takedowns of examples of NutritionFacts basing a recommendation on too-scant evidence.)

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• Referral from September 2, 2013
  

  John M. asked:

  My hippie American friends: can anyone recommend a good book for going vegan? what kinds of supplements you need to eat, tips and tricks for a balanced and fun diet, etc?

  

  Kimberly B. replied:

  http://www.veganhealth.org/

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• Referral from October 22, 2011
  

  Vegan A. asked:

  Emma posted, Hi guys, please could someone direct me to somewhere I can purchase a vegan pregnancy multivitamin. Apparently the normal multi is too high in vitamin a. Having a lot of trouble. Deva make one but I can't find a stockist, thanks everyone:))

  

  Brendon O. replied:

  Also look up veganhealth.org for in depth info on omega 3 for pregnancies. You should take an algae base one as it had the long chain fatty acids which aren't in flax/chia/hemp but are in fish (only in fish since they eat algae).

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• Referral from April 30, 2011
  

  Tracy T. asked:

  Can you please recommend a dietician in the north of Johannesburg who can help me understand and construct a balanced vegan diet. I want to change from vegetarian to full vegan but have a tendency to live on carbs so want to make this change a balanced and healthy one.

  

  South S. replied:

  http://www.veganhealth.org/; http://www.pcrm.org/health/index.html; http://www.vegfamily.com/dietician/vegan-nutritional-advisor.htm; http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/

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• Referral from May 29, 2010
  

  Mary C. asked:

  Hello. I have been a Vegan for 5 years now and I love being a Vegan. However, I do need some advice and assistance as to how to eat properly, so that I am sure that I get adequate amounts of protein and iron to my diet. I have gained weight and I know that I have made some poor junk food choices and consumed to many bad carbohydrates. If anyone has any recommendations, as well as any sources that I can turn to, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

  

  Sonja I. replied:

  It's hard not to get enough protein, so I wouldn't worry too much. The average American eats too much protein. I donate blood regularly and do not have a problem with iron, so as long as you eat a varied whole foods diet, you should be fine. Although I know the allure of vegan junk food too. There's so much available now! Here's some websites: http://www.pcrm.org/health/ http://www.drmcdougall.com/ http://www.veganhealth.org/ http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/ And Colleen's next podcast (not yet posted) will be on losing weight: http://feeds.feedburner.com/VegetarianFoodForThought

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