Germany warned of the potential health hazards of a vegan diet in a recent statement to the public, urging children and teens and pregnant or nursing mothers to avoid the diet altogether.
The non-dairy plant-based diet has apparently exploded in popularity in Berlin, where vegan butcher shops are now up and running. Germany acknowledges potential health benefits of the diet, but warns it may deprive some people of vital nutrients, such as the vitamin B12.
“A purely plant-based diet makes it more difficult to give the body some of the important nutrients it needs,” the statement reads, according to The Local Germany. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to brain damage including depression and psychosis, and trouble with muscle functions. It’s entirely absent in a vegan diet, unless the diet is supplemented with pills.
Vitamin D, calcium, iron and zinc are also hard to come by in a vegan diet, which excludes any product taken from an animal.
In another very different warning this week, Germany will require residents to build a stockpile of enough food and water to survive for five to 10 days, in case of an attack or catastrophe.
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