An ex-vegan whose hair started to fall out in chunks claims that the diet almost killed her - and that eating meat saved her life.

Kai-Lee Worsley, who is originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, became vegan after learning about factory farming.

Kai-Lee, 25, stopped eating all products derived from animal and started eating protein-rich vegetables.

She also took supplements to ensure she met nutritional requirements.

But six months into her new diet, Kai-Lee started to feel unwell.

Her hair started to fall out, her fingernails became brittle and she found it difficult to stand up.

She stuck to the diet for a few more months but her symptoms became too intense ignore.

Less than a year after becoming vegan, Kai-Lee started eating meat again and she says it "has literally saved my life".

Kai-Lee continues eat protein-rich vegetables but she also has steak three times a week.

Kai-Lee, an author and entrepreneur, went vegan after moving to Santa Ana, California, USA, in August 2018.

When she arrived in Santa Ana, Kai-Lee moved in with a group of vegans who taught her about factory farming and the suffering and abuse faced by animals.

Kai-Lee stopped eating all products derived from animals and started eating protein-rich vegetables, such as beans and legumes.

She also used supplements to counter the lack of proteins found in meat.

But six months into her new diet, symptoms started to appear.

Her skin started to break out and she suffered a bad bout of acne, something she had never experienced before.

Her hair started to fall out and her fingernails were becoming brittle and break.

She also felt so dizzy that she found it difficult to stand up.

By then Kai-Lee had been a vegan for 10 months but she felt she had no choice but to abandon her convictions for her own wellbeing.

"After I ate meat, I saw myself as a fraud. I even had a V tattoo in my ear, which stood for vegan.

"I was at that point when I was so indoctrinated that it was really hard to go back.

"I didn't tell anyone at the beginning. I was worried what they would think about me.

"I think when you're so indoctrinated in something it's really hard to back away, but I'm glad that I was able to do it in time."