Why 86% of vegetarians go back to eating meat

It’s hard to be a healthy vegetarian. Just ask Anne Hathaway. The Oscar-winning actress tried to eat a vegan diet for several years. But two years ago, she had to start eating fish. The result?

The actress said adding fish back to her diet made her brain feel like a “computer rebooting.”

Hathaway isn’t the only one who has rediscovered the health benefits of eating meat. One study found that 86% of vegetarians eventually return to eating meat. And 70% of vegans will start eating meat again.

But why? Aren’t all those veggies good for you? You bet they are. But there’s more to this story.

When most people start eating a vegetarian diet, they feel great. Eating a lot of vegetables will have that effect on you. There’s a rush of nutrients. And there’s a period where the vegetables clean out your system. It’s a great way to detox.

But there’s a downside to a vegetarian diet. Unless you’re really vigilant, it’s very hard to get all the right nutrients you need to be healthy.

One of those nutrients is vitamin B12. This nutrient is vital for brain health. And, like Anne Hathaway experienced, a deficiency can make your brain feel like it needs to be “rebooted.”

A study out of Oxford University explains why your brain feels this way when you don’t have enough B12. The researchers measured the B12 levels of 100 seniors. They also did MRI brain scans on all the participants. They found that none of the participants showed a deficiency of vitamin B12.

However, the researchers noticed a problem with those participants that had the lowest blood levels of vitamin B12. While they were still within the “normal” range, these participants were six times more likely to have smaller brains than those with the highest levels. Brain shrinkage reduces brain function and cognition. And it increases your risk of stroke.

Can’t You Get B12 From Plants?

Yes and no. There are plant-based forms of B12. These come from sea vegetables like seaweed and spirulina. And you can find them in fermented soy products like miso and tempeh.

But there’s a big problem with plant-based B12. It’s not nearly as bioavailable as B12 from animal sources. That means that no matter how much vegetarians try, they will never be able to reach optimum levels of B12 without taking supplements or eating meat.

In fact, one study found that 68% of vegetarians and 83% of vegans are deficient in vitamin B12. And this deficiency does more than just cause muscle and brain atrophy. It also causes insomnia, fatigue, skin problems, and headaches.

More Than Just a B12 Deficiency

The other problem vegetarians encounter is a protein deficiency. This deficiency can bring on many of the same symptoms as a B12 deficiency. And a prolonged deficiency is the primary cause of muscle wasting and frailty.

Vegetarians will tell you that they can get plenty of protein by combining grains and legumes. And they can. Grains and legumes are complementary proteins. When you combine them, you get all eight of the essential amino acids your body needs to make protein.

But grains and legumes also contain proteins that can cause some problems. Two of the most common proteins in these foods are gluten and lectin.

You’re probably familiar with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. The stomach problems that result can be debilitating.

That’s why many vegetarians eat gluten-free grains like rice and corn. Then they combine those grains with legumes like beans and peas.  But both options contain high levels of lectins.

The main purpose of lectins is to protect the plant from harm. They are a mild toxin that discourages animals from eating the plant. In people, this toxin can damage your gut, cause inflammation, and prevent the absorption of other nutrients.

Many vegetarians struggle with gut problems because of their dependence on grains and legumes for their protein. And these gut problems lead to even more nutrient deficiencies.

In fact, many studies link vegetarian and vegan diets to deficiencies in key nutrients. These include vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins, and iodine. What’s more, a deficiency in these nutrients can lead to hormonal, thyroid, and methylation problems.

Vegetarian and vegan diets can also lead to deficiencies in many fat-soluble vitamins, such as lycopene, lutein, and vitamins A, E, and K. These deficiencies can cause inflammation in the lungs, an increased risk of blood clots, reduced bone density, severe eye problems, and many other major issues.

In other words, avoiding meat can lead to some very serious health issues if you don’t manage your diet well. And you have to stay on top of it. As these deficiencies escalate, so do the health problems.

The Solution

This is really just touching the surface on all the problems a strictly vegetarian diet can cause. When you dive deep into the research, you can see why so many vegetarians and vegans start eating meat again. For all these reasons, a vegetarian, and especially a vegan diet, is not something to enter into on a whim.

If you want to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, you have two options for avoiding all these deficiencies.

Your first option is to add a little meat back into your diet. This is the option 86% of vegetarians choose to do. Fortunately, you don’t have to eat a lot of meat to get the benefits your body needs. In most cases, all you need is three to five ounces (depending on your size) of animal protein a day.

This really does work. A story in The Economist last month showed that the Japanese have significantly reduced their occurrence of stroke simply by eating a little meat.  And you can do the same.

What if you’re opposed to eating meat? Well, then, I’m happy to tell you about a breakthrough that lets you get all the protein you need, regardless of your diet. I’ll tell you all about it next week.