However, benefits have to be balanced against the risks of going vegan.
Vegetarians, and especially vegans, have low blood levels of vitamin B-12 and D, calcium and essential fatty acids, according to study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“These vitamins and minerals play important roles in bone health, and low levels of fatty acids are associated with several cardiovascular risk factors,” explains the Arthritis Foundation (AF).
The AF adds: “Vegans may also have higher levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to heart disease, and lower levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, known to protect the heart.”