RISKS

As with any diet or nutritional regimen, there are risks involved with veganism. These risks include the development of anemia and a vitamin B-12 deficiency (McCarty, 473); however, if one maintains a balanced and healthy vegan diet that includes a vitamin B-12 supplement, the risks of veganism are lowered significantly. The fact is that the current “western” diet, consisting of processed foods and high consumption of animal protein, has more risks than the vegan diet. As stated by Loren Cordain and her colleagues in an article addressing the health implications of the western diet, chronic diseases and health problems attributed to poor nutritional balance in the western diet include obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, osteoporosis and osteopenia, and cancer (341). Healthy veganism, on the other hand, reduces the risk of all these side effects with minimal to no risk involved.