Jaden Smith’s family staged an ‘intervention’ to stop him following a vegan diet after noticing his skin starting to turn grey, but the singer has revealed he was only eating one meal a day.

The 21-year-old’s parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have said in an interview they were concerned their son was not eating enough protein, and he has since switched to vegetarianism. 

Speaking on Facebook Watch show ‘Red Table Talk’, Jada said: “Will and I had a bit of an intervention with Jaden because he’s a vegan now, but we realised he wasn’t getting enough protein. So he was wasting away. He just looked drained, he was just depleted, he wasn’t getting the nutrients.”

Studies into vegan nutrition overwhelmingly support the diet as a healthy lifestyle, while there are endless healthy plant-based protein sources.

Possibly the key factor in Jaden’s health and energy levels was the quantity of food he consumed, rather than veganism, as the musician revealed he struggled to find time to eat. 

He said: ”I was just eating like two meals a day … maybe one. Maybe just that one big meal and I’m like, ‘Oh, you know, I didn’t get around to it.

”I also just wanna say that I’m vegetarian, that I’ve tried to be vegan. I’m vegetarian, you know, I’ve tried to eat vegan meals. I’ll go vegan for a week or so but for the past year I’ve been vegetarian.”

Despite revealing he only ate once a day, Jaden’s parents were convinced his veganism was the main cause of their son looking ‘drained’.

Will said he had ‘dark circles’ around his eyes, adding: ”There was even a little greyness to his skin. We got really nervous. But you’re definitely looking better now.”

• Read: Study: Vegan diet boosts weight loss without restricting calories

Has your health been affected by veganism? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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