The Rest of the Story: Drawbacks to Veganism

Though veganism offers a healthier balance of amino acids than the typical animal-protein rich American diet, there are drawbacks. Vegans frequently suffer from amino acid deficiency in lysine and tryptophan, and additionally are shortchanged on a variety of important vitamins, notably vitamin B12 which assists with homocysteine metabolism. B12 injections or sublingual lozenges are typically the way vegans combat this deficiency. Some vegans, including the case study referenced below, have been found to be deficient or measurably below normal in vitamins B1, D, and the minerals zinc, and selenium.