The vegan diet and iron deficiency – must one always accompany the other?
It’s widely believed that vegans and vegetarians are very susceptible to iron deficiency because as we know, the reason for insufficient iron is not enough being supplied in food to meet the body’s needs. Unfortunately, often, a seemingly healthy but actually poorly designed plant-based diet not only doesn’t have enough iron but also hinders iron absorption due to the presence of fibre, phytates, oxalates and polyphenols. So how can we balance the vegetarian and vegan menus to not risk anaemia and other dangerous effects of iron deficiency, and is this even possible?
