CAN A VEGAN DIET AFFECT YOUR BRAIN’S HEALTH?

Adopting a vegan diet has different effects on your body. It can improve your gut health and make your body cleaner. However, it can also affect it negatively based on how healthy you are. On the other hand, a vegan diet can have different effects on our brain as well, however, studies do not have enough proof to conclude whether veganism hurts or improves our brain’s health. For this reason, we’ve brought together different studies that were focused on the different effects of the vegan diet. The following are 5 potential effects of a vegan diet on your brain.

1- YOU WILL FEEL TIRED AND HAVE A LACK OF ENERGY AT FIRST

A vegan diet does not have sufficient iodine and choline which are two necessary nutrients for your body. Usually, these nutrients are found in eggs and are needed to regulate your thyroid’s health, your energy, mood and metabolism. Some vegetables have been found to have choline and iodine in them such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli and sweet potatoes, however, food supplements can be also useful in this situation. Furthermore, a vegan diet has a lower level of calories which can make you feel tired, especially at the beginning of the transition to this diet.

2- YOU MAY BE AT A HIGHER RISK OF HAVING A STROKE

A stroke normally happens when a part of your brain doesn't get enough blood. And while this seems controversial because cholesterol is known to put you at a higher risk of heart problems, some evidence says that it can also protect you from a stroke. While it is not clear how this happens, Vitamins B and amino acids are believed to be the reason behind that.

3- YOU BECOME AT A LOWER RISK OF DEMENTIA

Almost 23 thousand persons develop dementia every year in the UK only. If red meat protected against dementia, the number wouldn’t be so high. Doctors and health practitioners advise patients to exercises and eat healthy food containing lots of vegetables and grains in order to keep dementia away. This means that vegans could be saving their brains from such diseases.

4- YOU MAY SLEEP BETTER AND EXPERIENCE MORE ENERGY LATER ON

Consuming animal-based foods requires a lot of energy to be digested because they are high in fat and protein content. Switching to a plant-based diet can make you feel more energized due to the simple digesting process.

5- VEGANS AND DEPRESSION

Some major studies have found that 30% of vegans can suffer depression at some point in their lives. However, another number of studies found that a vegan diet does not have a negative effect on the mood. It also showed that reducing foods that come from animal, whether meat or dairy, has benefits on the mood. Since there are different studies showing different results, we cannot have a definite statement about the relation between veganism and depression, but eating less animal-based products can be a first good step towards a healthy brain.