Side effects of being a vegan?

Our 38 yr old daughter has been a strict vegan since she was 11 years old. She was diagnosed with an under active thyroid 3 years ago, for which she is presently receiving no medication. She has now shown us a rash which spreads mainly around her stomach...

and back. She has had it for 5 months. I have never seen a rash like this. There are numerous, quite large, blotchy marks. They look like old bruises that are fading. She also has one very large one on her thigh. The skin at the center of each blotch is dry and scaley, and becoming quite itchy. She went to see her doctor, but he simply suggested a skin moisturising cream without even looking at it. I think because she had infantile eczema and has had the occassional reoccurence of eczema, he is assuming that that is what it is. My wife and I are not convinced and are worried that it may be due to lack of protien or something. Any advice. Brian

First, she needs to see a doctor. Her outward signs could be indications of things that are more serious with her.

in my opinion, I think that she is nutritionally depriving herself. Modern man was not made to be a vegan.

Man became human when he started eating meat. That is what caused our brains to become so large and allowed us to survive while other attempts of mankind were failing.

She really needs to get on a healthful diet.

The side effects of a vegan diet are generally better health, less chronic disease, and longer life. I don't know what your daughter eats; she might have a lousy vegan diet. Soda and potato chips are vegan after all. Most vegans are health nuts so they usually eat a pretty good diet but some eat too much junk foods or get into health fads that might steer them in odd directions (extreme macrobiotics, etc.). There are a number of good books on nutrition on a pure vegetarian diet. Dr. Dean Ornish has some good books on diet and probably a good place to start.

ethmer: mankind is an omnivore. People live everywhere because we can live on almost anything. There are people who live on little else but seal meat and whale blubber while there are other people who live almost entirely on tubers, nuts, and berries. Our ability to eat meat has been essential for our survival and propagation but physiologically we are closer to herbivores than carnivores. When you look at the the health statistics of various populations the healthiest ones eat the least animal products. China is a large country that is very similar genetically but has different regional diets in different areas. The China Study looked at how different diets effected the health and found that the less animal products consumed the healtheir the population. I've read the theory that our brains grew because of our access to seafood. The idea being that we needed large amounts of DHA from seafood to grow big brains. I'd counter that our own bodies produce DHA from ALA and that lack of seafood hasn't studented the intellectual growth of mankind who live far from shores and eat little seafood.

being a Vegan is very unhealthy if you do not do it the right way. my friend was a vegitarian and passed out and got sick from it.. the doctor made her change her ways because of how unhealth it was for her.. let her see another doctor and hopefully they can help

first, do go to the doctor
or even a different doctor
always get a second opinion if your not satisfied...even a third
second. being a vegan is fine, its a life choice
although over time if not given the proper nutrients and such, it can make your body weaker
and overall health a bit weaker, instead of healthier
she does need a daily dose of iron, protien and fish oils,
which can also be taken as suppliments, and in say, pill form
these hellp a lot with the body, also making it able to heal itself, fight infection,
and if she had a bruise, heal that quicker too
nuts also have a lot of good things in them, all different kinds
but make sure she does get a good amount of those 3 things mentioned.
she has been a vegan for a very lond time, and if over that time she didnt get these and other necessary things, then it may and probably is the cause for all this.
let her still be a a vegan though, thats her choice
but also make sure shes getting those other things!