Vegan with Restless Legs

A while ago I posted a blog on Facebook asking whether vegetarian food is bad for RLS. I got a rather aggravated reaction from someone who said that he had been eating vegan for many years and had never had any problems with a vitamin deficiency.

He even called my question “shit”. From the use of this word I understood that he was Belgian. In the Netherlands we don’t actually use this word.

I thought it was quite a strong reaction. My suspicion is that the fellow sufferer in question often feels attacked about his food choices. However, if he had read my blog, it would have become clear to him that I myself have been a vegetarian for over 20 years.

However, the fact that I don’t eat meat doesn’t stop me from looking at the possible drawbacks of this way of eating for my restless legs. If I know what I might be missing in my plant-based foods, I might be able to do something about it.

What is vegan

Vegan is the English word for vegan. The English term is often used in popular parlance today. It is also fashionable in certain circles to be vegan.

A vegetarian does not officially eat meat, fish or poultry. Apart from that, a vegan does not take eggs and milk products. I have never considered going vegan. For me it was enough not to eat meat. I do use dairy products and occasionally have an egg.

I used to have an uncle who was vegan. This uncle was seen in the family as rather eccentric. At that time, veganism was often seen as an unhealthy way of life in which you might get orange hair due to vitamin deficiency.

Nowadays, I think there is much more knowledge about vegan nutrition. People know better how they can still obtain a complete diet as a vegan.

Restless legs

Whatever the public opinion about veganism, the fact remains that as a vegan you run a greater chance of contracting a vitamin deficiency. For example, you will have to pay extra attention that you get enough iron and vitamin B12.

These substances are mainly found in animal products. As a vegan you don’t take dairy or eggs in addition to meat, so you really have to get it from other sources.

Restless legs do not always result from a deficiency of, for example, iron. However, in the medical world it is suspected that iron often plays a role in its development. It therefore certainly does not hurt to have your iron measured by your doctor by means of blood tests. Based on this, you can then see whether you are taking further measures.

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