Sickle Cell Disease: Dietary Recommendations

Started May 16, 2022

Abstract or project description

Vegan diets are plant-based diets that avoid all animal and animal-derived consumables. They have recently gained more attention with the sales of vegan food continuously increasing during the pandemic. Though it is widely advertised as environment-friendly and healthier than regular diets, the clear effect it has on sickle cell patients remains unclear. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder that alters the shape of red blood cells and causes them to become rigid and sticky. This blocks blood flow in patients, decreasing the life expectancy of patients with the disease. Despite approximately five percent of the world population carrying trait genes for hemoglobin disorders, mainly SCD and thalassemia, there were no dietary recommendations for sickle cell patients taking vegan diets. This paper aims to provide dietary recommendations for those with sickle cell taking vegan diets and to determine whether their dietary requirements could be fulfilled by taking only plant-based food. The paper will go through quantitative studies that discuss nutrient requirements for sickle cell patients and nutrient deficiencies found in sickle cell patients. The paper will also present papers that measure the average nutrient intake of vegans. A suitable diet recommendation for vegans with sickle cell will then be given. Extra fortified foods and dietary requirements for SC patients taking vegan diets are expected as vegan diets alone often fail to provide adequate nutrients even to people without SCD. Further research must be done on the effects vegan diets have on the severity of sickle cell disease to determine whether vegan diets are beneficial to sickle cell patients.