Abstract
Purpose: In Asia, vegetarianism is a well‐established eating behaviour. It appears that the adoption of a vegan diet leads to a lessening of several health risk factors. However, vegetarianism has some notable effects on the haematological system.
Design: A descriptive study.
Materials and Methods: The pattern of five red blood cell parameters was studied in 25 Thai vegans compared with 25 non‐vegetarians.
Results: Of the five studied parameters, it was found that haematocrit (Hct) and haemoglobin (Hb) were significantly different (p<0.05) in vegans and controls. Hct and Hb were significantly lower in the vegans. In addition, non‐significantly higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW), and lower mean corpuscular Hb (MCH) were observed in the vegans.
Conclusions: In this study, lower Hb and Hct were detected in the vegans, reflecting the existence of anaemia in this population. Interestingly, a non‐significant higher MCV was noted among the vegans. Indeed, the characteristic of red blood cell size in anaemia in Thai vegans can be affected by other factors, which can lead to anaemia.