Vegan diets are ‘less healthy’ than incorporating meat, eggs and milk into your meals, a large-scale study has found.
A United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, which examined more than 500 studies, concluded that animal food sources are “critical sources of much-needed nutrients.”
These include proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as iron, calcium and zinc, which are vital for health and development, it said.
However, according to the FAO, these macro- and micronutrients are difficult to find “in the required quality and quantity” if you follow a vegan diet.
It noted that meat, eggs and milk are “particularly vital” in children, young people and the elderly, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Meat, eggs and milk provide important nutrients such as high-quality protein, fatty acids, iron, calcium, zinc, selenium and vitamin B12, the report said.
To assess the benefits of the risks of consuming animal products, the FAO reviewed more than 500 scientific papers and 250 policy documents.
It makes the study the most comprehensive analysis to date.
“Food from terrestrial animals provides energy and many essential nutrients, such as protein, fatty acids and various vitamins and minerals that are less common in other types of food,” wrote FAO Deputy Director General Maria Helena Semedo and the body’s chief economist Maximo Torero. Cullen. in a foreword to the report.
It noted that plant-based ‘meat’, available in all major supermarkets, cannot replace animal products, is deficient in some essential nutrients and is high in fat, sodium and sugar.
There is some evidence that in adults, consumption of yogurt and milk reduces the risk of all-cause death, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer and osteoporosis, the report said.
The report also found that there was relatively solid evidence that egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke or heart disease.
Meanwhile, consumption of milk and dairy products during pregnancy promotes a healthy baby birth weight, evidence shows.
And beef consumption was found to improve cognitive outcomes and protect against iron deficiency — which can cause dizziness, fatigue, headaches, irregular heartbeat and pale skin. The report states that it is safe to eat 72 grams of beef every day.
However, the authors wrote that even consuming small amounts of processed meat — such as processed meats, bacon, and sausages — should be avoided.
The World Health Organization says there is strong evidence that processed meats increase the risk of colon and stomach cancer.
However, the FAO called on the livestock sector to address a range of issues such as deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, as well as unsustainable water and land use. poor animal welfare and overgrazing.
Professor Gunter Kuhnle, a nutrition and food scientist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: ‘One aspect is nutrient deficiencies, especially iron, zinc and vitamin B12 – meat is a good source of them.
“And iron deficiency is a problem for many women (especially young women) in the UK, so this is quite relevant.”
However, Professor Kuhnle said those following a vegan or vegetarian diet can be “perfectly healthy” and stressed that it just takes “more planning” to ensure they get the right nutrients.
He added: ‘The same goes for proteins: meat always contains all the essential amino acids, but not all plants.
‘However, meat and animal products lack fiber – which is important for health – and many plant bioactive substances that are believed to have a beneficial effect on health.’
Professor Kuhnle also warned of “polarization” in nutrition, claiming that a specific diet or food group is essential. He says the focus should be on people who eat a wide variety of foods.