WESTON, Fla. – A recent study shows that the number of Americans following a vegan diet has gone from a few hundred thousand to 9.7 million in the past 15 years.
Candace O’Neill, a nutritionist with Cleveland Clinic Weston, says that while plant-based diets can help people avoid many health issues, vegans could also be putting their bone health at risk.
“People may be thinking that they’re getting enough nutrients from a vegan diet when in actuality their diet could be lacking in calcium. Calcium is an important nutrient for bone health, but some vegan sources of calcium like spinach, which is naturally very high in calcium, our body does not absorb the full amount,” she said.
O’Neill said it’s important for vegans to consume calcium-enriched foods that also contain Vitamin D, which promotes calcium absorption.
Also in today’s health news, physiologists are finding that gender and fitness levels are key predictors in how easily someone burns fat.
Two new studies led by researchers in the U.K. found that being female and physically fit, at any age, resulted in more efficient fat burning when exercising compared to males.
The study found that females have a greater reliance on fat as a fuel source during exercise than men.
While this may help women protect against future weight gain, it does not equate with losing weight, which still is primarily achieved by consuming fewer calories than we expend.