A leading dentist has warned that turning vegan could be bad for your smile.
Dr Mervyn Druian, from the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry, says he has seen a rise in patients showing signs of tooth decay after cutting out certain foods.
Many are following a vegan diet, which can lack protein and calcium – vital for keeping teeth healthy.
Druian warns that some vegans may also eat more sweet and starchy foods such as fruits and grains.
These cause bacteria in plaque to produce acids, which can harm enamel.
‘Because veganism has sky-rocketed, we are seeing more patients with erosion and cavities,’ Dr Druian said. “It’s not just down to the lack of vitamins, but also because of the food swaps they make,” Druian added.
Other popular challenges that come with being a vegan are as follows;
Eating out is a mission
Due to the fact that there aren’t a lot of vegans in the world it can quite hard to find a restaurants that cater to vegan diets. Parties and family gatherings can be difficult to as you would have to be that one family member who has to be catered to because of your ‘special’ diet.
Where do I get my protein?
For most people it is easy to get their protein through meat, fish, eggs and dairy products but for vegans it can be a little tricky. According to Livestrong.com vegans have to eat beans, Tofu and nuts to get enough protein.
Getting enough Vitamins
For calcium vegans have to eat plant sources of calcium such as dark leafy greens or fortified soy products, in order to get the recommended 1 000 milligrams per day.
To get Vitamin D which people need to absorb calcium, vegans have to either take a vitamin D supplement or drink soy milk fortified with vitamin D.
Most vegans have to take vitamin B-12 supplements as the vitamins is mostly found in animal products. Some soy milk and breakfast cereals are fortified with B-12.
Even with the challenges though veganism comes with a lot of long term benefits for people.
