VeggieBoards banner

Vegan gets a lot of colds, help!

2K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  firebreather 
#1 ·
Hi all!
I've been vegan for the last 9 years and for the most part I feel great. I'm never going back, yada yada. BUT something I've noticed about myself in recent years is that I get sick a lot. Specifically, I get colds. So far this winter I've had four colds, two of which knocked me on my bum. Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, etc. I sometimes get a cold in the spring and summer as well.
My point is, I get more colds than any other people in my life. Now, I know that this can't be attributed exclusively to veganism, but my friends and family think it is! I'd like to boost my immune system to kick that theory in the butt, and obviously to get sick less!
I have a really good diet, mostly whole foods, lots of veggies and much more fruit in the last few months. I supplement with vitamin D and B12. Am I missing something??
What do you all do to keep your immune system healthy and avoid getting sick? Thanks in advance for any insight!
 
#2 ·
Hi sarquahdee,

I experienced something similar, but it happened after I'd already been vegan for 11 years. During that year, I got sick (common cold) 5 times in one year. When that happened, I made an appointment with a Registered Dietitian. She had me keep a food diary for a week, in order to allow her to identify any nutritional deficiencies. Her conclusion? Lack of calories! I simply wasn't eating enough, and I didn't realize it. Our entire body, including our immune system, is fueled by calories.

You might find it useful to make an appointment with a local Registered Dietitian who specializes in vegetarian/vegan nutrition. Your physician should be able to refer you to such a person. You should visit your physician anyway, just to rule out any serious medical problems.
 
#3 ·
I have a really good diet, mostly whole foods, lots of veggies and much more fruit in the last few months. I supplement with vitamin D and B12. Am I missing something??
What do you all do to keep your immune system healthy and avoid getting sick? Thanks in advance for any insight!
There are only FOUR things I can come up with:

(1) Low iron. Up your Greens or beans.. (or, take a vegan iron supplement a couple of times per week).

(2) Not eating enough food. Not eating enough food means you are not getting enough of the good stuff. Its easy to under-eat (if you are primarily eating fruit and veg) because the nutrition is high but the calories are low. To fix this, use a Calorie Counter, ie: cronometer.com (basically EAT LARGER PORTIONS). or eat more bananas (they are a food powerhouse). Try having a minimum of 5 bananas per day.

(3) Underlying health problem which has nothing to do with being vegan.

(4) Bad sleep habits. (low daily sleep hours). Sleep is much more powerful than you realize. Lack of sleep causes a tonne of health problems (including Alzheimer's, weakened immune, colds, flu etc). You need a solid sleep EVERY NIGHT otherwise you leave yourself open to weakness.

I know too many long-term vegans to see that we get sick LESS than regular people.
I literally haven't been sick for 10 or more years. and if I do feel a cold coming, its usually gone by the end of the day.
I've been to Vegan Festivals and have 3000 vegan/vegetarian friends on facebook. I have seen so many people declare how amazed they never seem to get sick in years.

I believe your answer is in one of the four suggestions I have written above.
Good luck fixing the problem ;)
 
#4 ·
Hi! I would suggest you take 500-1000mg of Vitamin C each day. You can also eat more citrus fruits or fruits rich in Vitamin C. I think that's the most convenient way to get rid of colds. Aaaand, increase your oral fluid intake. The goal is 2 liters per day.
 
#5 ·
Are you sure it's a cold? As we age more people tend to get allergies that cause sneezing, running nose and coughing too. I would go and get an allergy test to see if you are allergic to one or more things. Then if you are you can address them. For instance if you are allergic to some flowers and you eat flowers (artichoke for example) or drink flower tea (Chamomile for example) that can bring on the allergy symptoms.
 
#6 ·
I've been Vegan for equally as long and I've never been sick. As for Vitamin D, it doesn't work without Vitamin A because both vitamins work together to produce immune system cells and our body can't convert high temperature cooked beta-carotene into Vitamin A. So raw carrot juice with the vitamin D works best in an emergency or low temperature cooked carrots as a staple veg. On low for 1-2 hours.

How much Vitamin D3 are you taking and which brand?

I don't recommend high doses of vitamin C as they may cause kidney stones.
 
#7 ·
Since vegans are not taking any non-vegetarian foods so there is a great chance to decrease the immunity because of lack of essential products for which non-veg foods are the only source. Susceptible to the common cold can be the sign of this and for this, you can take vitamin and mineral supplements. Supplementation of zinc, selenium and vitamin D is good for enhancing immunity against the common cold and you can take this.
 
#8 ·
You can take zinc and selenium supplements if you'd like to, but zinc and selenium are both available from plant foods.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the world's largest association of Registered Dietitians) states that zinc is found in whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds: https://www.eatright.org/health/wel...ct-your-health-with-immune-boosting-nutrition .

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also states that selenium is found in nuts and nut butters: https://www.eatright.org/food/nutri...diets/protein-foods-for-your-vegetarian-child

I can't find any peer-reviewed studies which conclude that vegans have lower immunity. Please share your sources.
.

.
 
#10 ·
Hahaha, I have stopped trying to convince meat eaters that being vegetarian/vegan is not a common cause of: fatigue, infection, hair loss, astigmatism, zits.....

If they make those kinds of statements, I just ask them where they got this info, and usually it's either something they have always believed or something they read in a tabloid.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top