Veganism: How To Raise An Unhealthy Baby
Nina Planck blogs at the NYT that a plants-only diet is inadequate for babies and children, laying out why:
Nature created humans as omnivores. We have the physical equipment for omnivory, from teeth to guts. We have extraordinary needs for nutrients not found in plants. They include fully-formed vitamins A and D, vitamin B12, and the long-chain fatty acids found in fish.The quantity, quality and bio-availability of other nutrients, such as calcium and protein, are superior when consumed from animal rather than plant sources. It's quite possible to thrive on a diet including high-quality dairy and eggs -- many populations do -- but a diet of plants alone is fit only for herbivores.
For babies and children, whose nutritional needs are extraordinary, the risks are definite and scary. The breast milk of vegetarian and vegan mothers is dramatically lower in a critical brain fat, DHA, than the milk of an omnivorous mother and contains less usable vitamin B6. Carnitine, a vital amino acid found in meat and breast milk, is nicknamed "vitamin Bb" because babies need so much of it. Vegans, vegetarians and people with poor thyroid function are often deficient in carnitine and its precursors.
The most risky period for vegan children is weaning. Growing babies who are leaving the breast need complete protein, omega-3 fats, iron, calcium and zinc. Compared with meat, fish, eggs and dairy, plants are inferior sources of every one.
...Vegans may believe it's possible to get B12 from plant sources like seaweed, fermented soy, spirulina and brewer's yeast. Alas, these foods contain mostly B12 analogs, which, according to the health writer Chris Kresser, "block intake of and increase the need for true B12," a vital nutrient for mental health.
Mr. Kresser argues that this is one reason studies consistently show that up to 50 percent of long-term vegetarians and 80 perent of vegans are deficient in B12.
"Nature created humans as omnivores."
Exactly, I never understood the vegan positon as healthier, I think it's more about feeling better for not consuming animals.
My thing though is, if the animals are treated humanely then why is it bad to eat them? Right now that I can afford it, I do eat grass fed free range meat. But again, its only because I can afford it.
Eating vegan is very expensive and it makes most people feel like shit. I have discovered a modified low carb diet works best for me, lots of fruit, any kind of veggie, meat and no dairy, no bread, no beans, no rice, etc.
Purplepen at April 18, 2012 12:23 AM
Whether they're treated humanely or not, why would it be wrong to eat them? They're food. Left in the wild with no human care or contact, and sooner or later some predator will rip open a sheep, cow, or whatevers guts and start eating it while it howls in pain.
If nature WERE a goddess, she'd be a vicious and sadistic bitch goddess.
That said I'm not saying we SHOULDN'T treat animals humanely, only that it has no impact on whether they are to be consumed or not.
Funny thing here really, is that fervent beliefs about alternatives aside, some of these vegans would rather risk doing serious medical harm to their newborn babies...than eat a fucking steak.
I fear that if Darwin were not wrong, we have quite handily sabotaged him.
Robert at April 18, 2012 4:00 AM
From the article: "In one study, the researchers found 'a significant association' between low B12 levels and 'fluid intelligence, spatial ability and short-term memory.' The formerly vegan kids scored lower than omnivorous kids every time."
I have 3 cousins, twin girls who are 18 and the the oldest boy, who is 22. They have been raised vegetarian since they were infants. Their parents, of course, are also vegetarian. Academic excellence has always been stressed in my extended family. All of my cousins have done well in high school & college. They have all gone on to have solid careers in STEM fields, with the exception of these 3 kids. Despite going to an excellent public school and having caring parents very involved with their studies, their average GPA was a 1.8 in high school.
Growing up surrounded by very smart aunts, uncles, and cousins, I often wondered if the reason why they always did so poorly in school was due to their lack of sufficient brain food while they were young.
prawn toe at April 18, 2012 8:15 AM
we were interested in this, our next podcast is interviewing a woman who raised 4 sons vegan and her son who is raising his 2 kids vegan, 3 generations of vegans in one house. And Andy, who has the 2 vegan children. Of course that's only 1 case and Nina is right that vegans do have to supplement b12 but I don't know why taking supplements means a diet is unnatural. I have read on low carb forums about low carbers taking supplements like magnesium to relieve constipation. There are some studies on vegan children, most say that their diet is adequate including the official position of the American Dietetic association. One of the best examples of vegans thriving is the Black Hebrew Israelites who are thousands of vegans living in Israel and bringing up their babies and children vegan. They are apparently much healthier than African Americans living in the US (and we also interviewed a woman raised in this community).
Diana at April 18, 2012 10:15 AM
Kids need fat to grow their brains. Adults need fat to run their brains. You could get enough fat eating vegan, but it would require massive amounts of nuts and avacado. How many kids sit down and eat an entire avacado as a snack?
In my own personal experiences, I've seen several cokeheads go vegan. Odd juxtaposition of what one wants in one's body.
I like steak on greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I eat it at least once a day-often for breakfast. We buy top sirloin-its cheap and Dh grills it up like it's butter, so tender!
DH and I finally hired a personal trainer a few weeks ago. Our first appt he told us to give up wheat forever, and all other grains for 2 weeks. I like this man. He didn't know I was a lowcarber at that point.
Grassfed beef rocks-TONS of Omega-3's. I love that now "they" are saying saturated fat might not be linked to heart disease. Finally!
momof4 at April 18, 2012 10:43 AM
"but I don't know why taking supplements means a diet is unnatural." Diana
I think you are looking at this from the wrong end.
IF you want to eat a natural diet, WHAT diet is natural for your species? It's Evolution the decided what is natural for you. Look in the mirror and smile. Are those the teeth of a herbivore? Do you chew your cud?
You're an omnivore, which means your natural diet includes lots of other critters and maybe a few plants.
If you lived in the uncivilized wild, you would eat in a predatory way.
Veganism, and vegetarianism, are human constructs... EVEN IF they may be very old in certain parts of the world like India.
That doesn't make them wrong, but they certainly aren't natural. I presume you can look up natural food chains, you will find humans at the top.
IF you have reasons to change such, FABU... just make sure that you don't skimp on things your body needs to thrive, and consider that for children, you may not get all that stuff from plants. You are old enough to make that decision, your children are not.
SwissArmyD at April 18, 2012 10:57 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/04/18/veganism_how_to.html#comment-3147670">comment from momof4Gregg came back from Detroit yesterday and came over and cooked me a beautiful grass-fed steak. He gets huge ones, so I have another meal at least out of it. He also has learned to cook these steaks so they go down like butter. The problem with eating in restaurants now is that Gregg is such a good cook -- salmon, too, he's learned to make -- and they have to at least make steak as good as he does to make it seem worthwhile.
Amy Alkon at April 18, 2012 12:08 PM
My sister got progressive more and more vegan between the ages of 15 and 25. It got so she pretty much ate only fruit and vegetables. She was insufferable, always blathering on about how unhealthy meat was and various other communist/social justice viewpoints.
She started eating more normally a few years ago. When we had dinner at my in-laws' and she actually ate the pot roast, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Her political views have also gotten less idiotic. Is it any wonder that most vegans are government-loving liberals and vice-versa?
Sosij at April 18, 2012 1:31 PM
"That said I'm not saying we SHOULDN'T treat animals humanely, only that it has no impact on whether they are to be consumed or no"
Temple Grandin the top designer of livestock handling equipment once stated something along the lines of eating meat is moral but we should do the OPPOSITE of what nature does to animals.
Purplepen at April 18, 2012 2:34 PM
I counter your vegetarian kid anecdotes with some of mine. Unless you come up with studies showing vegetarian kids are retarded, then your anecdotes, and mine, are just that.
These people were raised lacto-vegs, which means dairy but no eggs. Some have gone vegan, some eat eggs now.
Family C:
The eldest daughter did her undergrad at U of Chicago, and got her law degree at Georgetown. She got all sorts of Fellows and awards to go to conferences in Geneva, and go to Africa to work with refugees. Her area is international law and refugees.
The younger daughter had a tougher time of it, as there was a problem at her birth and she was deprived of oxygen. She was homeschooled as a result of her disabilities. She got her undergrad at Goucher and is now getting her Masters from I forget which school, but she's affiliated with Perkins and is learning how to be a teacher for the deaf.
Family V:
The son did his undergrad at Harvard and went to Columbia law school. Sadly, he learned that idealist law won't pay those tuition loans, and is doing corporate law.
The daughter did her undergrad at Stanford, an MBA at Oxford, and is working on an MD from Stanford. She worked with an orphanage in Kenya in between, and is very active in providing African orphans scholarships to American boarding schools.
Family R:
This daughter floundered, her parents divorced and her dad died when she was a teen, and her mother was chronically ill. She is in her 30s and just now going back to school.
Family S:
The daughter did her undergrad at Smith, and got her Masters of Education from Harvard. She worked with inner-city kids, but is now a housewife.
The son did his undergrad at Middlebury, worked for the French govt during his junior year abroad, worked on the Hill, went to Kellogg for his MBA and is now working for a well-known corporation.
Family L:
The son did his undergrad at Harvard, his phd at Berkely, his post-doc at MIT and works at Cornell.
Family S:
Unlike the other families, the mother was a single mother on welfare.
The daughter got a scholarship to Brown and now works for the City of New York.
The son is a bit more alternative, he studied Integrative Nutrition. I assume he's an integrative nutritionist, not really in touch with him any more.
Family LR:
The son got his undergrad and Masters from the University of VA, and is doing IT at Harvard.
Yeah.
Bunch of retards.
NicoleK at April 18, 2012 11:42 PM
All of these posts lead me to the same conclusion I always reach: Eat what you want!
Pricklypear at April 19, 2012 7:39 AM
Leave a comment