Lying in the oncologist’s office, bracing myself for a painful procedure, I wondered how it had come to this.
I had always prided myself on being in good health. I didn’t smoke, drink or eat junk food. But now, aged 45, I felt like I was falling apart.
For three years, my body had been attacked by a host of unpleasant symptoms: a painful rash, bleeding gums, constant fatigue and urinary problems.
Now, after years of doctors being baffled as to what was causing my symptoms, I was undergoing tests for cancer.
Thankfully, it wasn’t cancer. But the true cause of my problems was even more shocking: my vegan diet.
Increasing numbers of us who care about animal welfare, climate change and our health have turned vegan in recent years. We assume that cutting out meat, fish and dairy will scour us clean, both morally and physically. Vegan lifestyle influencers promise it will transform everything from your weight to your skin.
‘The true cause of my health problems was shocking: my vegan diet,’ writes FLIC EVERETT
But while, for many, veganism is a successful choice, the tragic story of university student Georgina Owen, 21 – who took her own life after her vegan diet resulted in a vitamin B12 deficiency that gave her frightening delusions – shows that it also needs to be treated with caution.
My own worrying experience of veganism came after I had already been a vegetarian for many years.
I ate dairy and eggs, and as I entered my mid-forties was perfectly healthy. But in June 2016, I became the editor of a vegan food magazine, a dream job for me at the time. After decades of dismissal as the niche dietary path of cranks, veganism was now being vaunted as the healthiest choice you could make. In October that year, I made the decision to go fully vegan.
I love cooking, so I was delighted with my exciting new diet. Because I had access to so much nutritional information I also rattled with supplements, including B12, algae capsules to replace fish oil, and zinc.
I did wonder, briefly, whether a diet that required synthetic replacements for nutrients I’d once obtained from food could be as healthy as its proponents claimed, but I ate pulses, tofu, nuts, seeds and leafy green vegetables, and assumed I was improving my health and longevity.
It wasn’t until four months in that I began to notice a handful of odd symptoms. I’d developed a skin rash on my arm and a burning pain and itching whenever I went for a wee. I felt constantly tired, and my gums were bleeding when I brushed my teeth.
‘I did wonder, briefly, whether a diet that required synthetic replacements for nutrients I’d once obtained from food could be as healthy as its proponents claimed’
I bought a new electric toothbrush and very expensive medicated toothpaste, but the bleeding continued. I went to the dentist and paid for an agonising ‘deep clean’, yet he too was baffled.
I went to the GP about the urinary pain, and she gave me pills for cystitis then, when they didn’t work, thrush medication. Ditto, no improvement.
Next, she told me the problem was probably due to perimenopause, and prescribed mild HRT.
When that failed, I was too embarrassed to go back.
I stopped using scented products altogether, and I assumed some rogue bacteria was laying waste to my health.
Meanwhile, I had developed regular morning headaches and an odd, stippled patch of skin near my mouth.
After another year of suffering I returned to the GP who referred me to a gynaecology consultant at a large hospital eighty miles away. There, I underwent further examination, resulting in a prescription for antibiotics. They didn’t work.
By this point, the pain was almost constant, and I began to think it might be permanent.
‘Still,’ I thought to myself, ‘at least I’m eating healthily.’
Two and a half years after the pain had started, I returned to the doctor. I worried I was the world’s biggest fusspot, yet both the pain and rash had significantly worsened.
This time, she referred me to the oncology department. ‘Do you think it’s cancer?’ I asked, my heart racing. The GP winced. ‘Let’s just rule it out.’
Two months later, I underwent an exceptionally painful biopsy and awaited the results with a growing sense of doom. Thankfully, it was not cancer. Less reassuringly, they still had no idea what the problem was.
Four months after that, in summer 2019, I was referred to yet another consultant. I arrived at the hospital a full three years after the symptoms presented, devoid of hope.
By this point, the pain was almost constant, and I began to think it might be permanent. ‘Still,’ I thought to myself, ‘at least I’m eating healthily’
‘Tell me,’ he said. ‘Do you wear earrings?’
I was so taken aback, I laughed. I had no idea why he was asking, but told him that cheap metal earrings had caused eczema when I was a student, so I’d stopped wearing them.
‘Ah,’ he said. ‘I think we have an answer.’
I remained baffled – but he explained that cheap metals often contain nickel. ‘I think you have a pretty severe nickel allergy. Did you know that certain foods also contain nickel? It comes from the soil they grow in.’
I did not know, but he went on to list the most nickel-packed foods. ‘Soy… pulses… dark leafy vegetables… dark chocolate… nuts and seeds.’
He had listed my entire diet – foods I’d eaten in moderation as a vegetarian but now relied on almost entirely as a vegan.
To be certain, I was referred for food allergy testing. As expected, I was ‘very allergic’ to nickel. ‘This won’t go away now,’ warned the consultant. ‘You can only manage it.’
Shocked doesn’t come close to what I felt. I’d undergone intrusive, painful procedures, tried endless medications and suffered pain, embarrassment and discomfort almost daily.
All along, the problem was my ‘healthy’ vegan diet.
Clearly, I’d always had a nickel allergy. But while it wasn’t originally caused by the food, it had been hugely exacerbated due to how much of it I’d added to my diet.
As soon as I had the results, I overhauled everything I ate – which meant giving up my once cherished vegan lifestyle. I couldn’t bring myself to eat meat, but I introduced fish, swapped pulses for rice and potatoes and cut out the nuts and seeds I’d been snacking on.
Within three days, the rash cleared up, my gums stopped bleeding and the urination pain disappeared.
I felt stupid for not having realised – but profoundly relieved.
To those who do embrace an animal-free diet, I salute you – but I offer a warning. Take all the supplements you need, every day. And if your health takes a sudden nosedive, don’t assume your diet has nothing to do with it. Because however healthy veganism seems on paper, sometimes it’s the entire root of the problem.
