Vegan and raw vegan diets are the latest craze.  Although these diets have been around since the 50’s, they have grown tremendously in the last 10 years.  

It’s almost impossible to scroll through social media without seeing some sort of vegan related post.  Many are passionate about promoting the vegan lifestyle as the one and only true way for man to eat…

However, many are putting themselves at serious risk without even knowing.  There are many downfalls to this type of eating that the “guru’s” will not tell you.

The Importance Of DHA and EPA

There are three essential fatty acids that are mandatory for health.  These fatty acids include: ALA, DHA, and EPA.  DHA and EPA are crucial for healthy brain and nerve function.  Those with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have shown to have low levels of these two fatty acids (1)(2)(3).

Unfortunately, there is ZERO EPA or DHA found on the vegan/raw vegan diet.  This puts vegans and raw vegans alike at serious risk for developing degenerating disease and severe mental illness (4).

Hardcore vegans will tell you that the body can convert ALA (the essential fatty acid that is found on the vegan diet) into both EPA and DHA.  As a result, they claim there is no need for animal products that contain DHA and EPA.

What these hardcore vegans fail to mention is that the body is extremely inefficient at converting ALA to both EPA and DHA.  Studies have shown that the conversion rate is less than 5 percent (5)(6)!

As a result, vegans will not be getting the same amount of DHA and EPA required for good mental health.  In fact, DHA is primarily responsible for protecting the CNS (central nervous system)(7). 

To put it simply, this is serious stuff and not something to take lightly…

Serious and irreversible damage could result from following this style of eating long term.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39aCpBd1lcQ

Micro Algae As A Source Of DHA

Many vegans understand the lack of both DHA and EPA on the vegan diet and have started to supplement with algae such as chlorella and spirulina.  These both contain DHA and small amounts of EPA.

However, are these supplements safe?

The argument is that these micro algae such as chlorella and spirulina are the oldest life forms on planet Earth.  As a result, they make the perfect food for the human body…

Even though they may in fact be the oldest living organism on the planet, there is not history of humans eating this algae.  In fact, supplementing with chlorella and spirulina is all one big experiment.  There have been no long term human trials or history of the safety of consuming these algae long term.

With that said, there do seem to be some quality chlorella supplements on the market.  It’s important to choose one that has been grown in controlled conditions and is tested for heavy metals…

With that said, I personally believe animal products are far superior to any chlorella or spirulina product.  This is because we have a long history of consuming these foods with no ill effects and the EPA to DHA is much more balanced.

 

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Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4537710/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945400/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2838628/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3466124/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9637947

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3224740/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15812120