Posted on 02/21/2005 2:06:27 PM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative
Lindsay Allen, of the US Agricultural Research Service, attacked parents who insisted their children lived by the maxim "meat is murder".
Animal source foods have some nutrients not found anywhere else, she told a Washington science conference.
The Vegan Society dismissed the claims, saying its research showed vegans were often healthier than meat eaters.
'Development affected'
Professor Allen said: "There have been sufficient studies clearly showing that when women avoid all animal foods, their babies are born small, they grow very slowly and they are developmentally retarded, possibly permanently."
| There's absolutely no question that it's unethical for parents to bring up their children as strict vegans Professor Lindsay Allen, US Agricultural Research Service |
"If you're talking about feeding young children, pregnant women and lactating women, I would go as far as to say it is unethical to withhold these foods [animal source foods] during that period of life."
She was especially critical of parents who imposed a vegan lifestyle on their children, denying them milk, cheese, butter and meat.
"There's absolutely no question that it's unethical for parents to bring up their children as strict vegans," she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Missing nutrients
She said the damage to a child began while it was growing in the womb and continued once it had been born.
Research she carried out among African schoolchildren suggests as little as two spoonfuls of meat each day is enough to provide nutrients such as vitamin B12, zinc and iron.
The 544 children studied had been raised on diets chiefly consisting of starchy, low-nutrition corn and bean staples lacking these micronutrients.
Over two years, some of the children were given 2oz supplements of meat each day, equivalent to about two spoonfuls of mince.
Two other groups received either a cup of milk a day or an oil supplement containing the same amount of energy. The diet of a fourth group was left unaltered.
|
HAVE YOUR SAY A wide-ranging mixed diet with exercise is essential for any child James, Cornwall, UK |
These children grew more and performed better on problem-solving and intelligence tests than any of the other children at the end of the two years.
They also became more active, talkative and playful at school.
Adding either meat or milk to the diets also almost completely eliminated the very high rates of vitamin B12 deficiency previously seen in the children.
No quick fixes
Professor Allen stressed that although the study was conducted in a poor African community, its message was highly relevant to people in developed countries.
She accepted that adults could avoid animal foods if they took the right supplements, but she said adding animal source food into the diet was a better way to tackle malnutrition worldwide than quick fixes with supplements in the form of pills.
"Where feasible, it would be much better to do it through the diet than by giving pills," she said.
"With pills it's very hard to be certain that the quantity of nutrition is right for everybody and it's hard to sustain."
In Africa, good results had been obtained from giving people a dried meat on a stick snack which proved both nutritious and appealing.
Professor Montague Demment, from the University of California at Davis, said more emphasis should be placed on animal source food to combat global malnutrition.
Vegan defence
However, the claims have been dismissed by the Vegan Society in the UK.
In a statement, it said increasing numbers of people were opting for a plant-based diet.
Kostana Azmi, the chief executive officer, said: "The vegan diet can provide you with more energy, nutrition, and is bursting with goodness."
She said plant sources were sometimes a safer, and cheaper source of nutrients.
For instance, animal sources of omega-3 oils, needed for the development of the brain and nervous system, were often contaminated with pollutants, such as mercury in fish.
In addition, the vegan diet was often a healthier alternative. She said dairy and meat products were rich in saturated fat, while plant based diets were low in it.
The society does recommend that vegans supplement their diet with vitamin B-12 pills.
The US Agricultural Research Service is part of the US Department of Agriculture.
That remind me of a little boy who comes to visit his grandma in our neighborhood. Dad is against guns. Everytime, he goes into our garage he grabs the toy guns.
Agreed. I've not met a conservative equivalent to PETA whatsoever. Not even in the Hallelujah Acres message board are people so vicious as when I used to be in a PETA club. They turn being vegetarian/vegan into some sort of activist lifestyle.
Keep in mind that physical attributes of Eating Disorders are caused by a variety of factors such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormone loss, electrolyte imbalances, continued strain on the body and fatigue.
**It is essential to get vitamins from food. Supplements should be taken in addition to meals and with meals for their essential and proper absorption.**
Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene): Found in fish and liver, green and yellow fruits and vegetables, Apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, butter, cataloupe, carrots, cheese, garlic, green olives, milk products, mustard (fresh), papaya, parsley, peaches, prunes, red peppers, sweet potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and watercress.
BODY PARTS AFFECTED:
Bones, eyes, hair, immune system, skin, soft tissues and teeth.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
Acne, allergies, loss of appetite, blindness, colds, dry hair, eye sties, fatigue, insomnia, impaired growth, itching and burning eyes, loss of smell, night blindness, dry skin, sinus trouble, steroid synthesis reduction; Decreased immune system function, cancer suseptibility. (Vitamin A is essential for bones and teeth and protects against cold and flu.)
Vitamin B Complex: Found in dairy products, meat, nuts and vegetables high in protein, broccoli, beans, brown rice, cabbage, cauliflower, cheese, eggs, fish, meat, milk, poultry, pork, oatmeal, raisins, spinach, asparagus, nuts, peanut butter, brussel sprouts, whole grains, and yogurt.
BODY PARTS AFFECTED:
Body cells, eyes, gastrointestinal tract, hair, liver, mouth, nervous system, skin.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
Acne, anemia, appetite loss, bad breath, cholesterol (high), circulation (poor), constipation, dark tongue color, depression, digestive disturbances, fatigue, dry hair or hair falling out, hypertension, insomnia, tender/painful leg muscles, nervousness, dry or rough skin. Problems muscle tone in the gastrointestinal tract, and liver. Depression and anxiety. Anemia, contributes to electrolyte imbalances. Memory loss, nervous system disorders, and immune system problems (low platelet count).
Vitamin B12: Found in beef, blue cheese, cheese, clams, crab, fish, eggs, herring, kidney, liver, mackerel, milk and milk products, pork, seafood and tofu. It is not found in vegetables - only in animal sources.
(all vitamin B supplements should be taken together).
BODY PARTS AFFECTED:
liver, nerves, red blood cells, gastrointestinal tract.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
appetite loss, diminished reflex responses, fatigue, irritability, memory impairment, mental depression and confusion, nervousness, pernicious anemia, unpleasant body odor, walking and speaking difficulties, weakness in arms and legs. A deficiency can cause problems with digestion, absorption of food, metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, nerves, fertility, growth and development. There can also be hallucinations, memory loss, eye disorders, and anemia. A vitamin B12 deficiency can indicate there is a problem with absorption (common in people with digestive disorders).
LOL!
And how are the shows going? Do you still appear in costume?
"But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat."
I would like to blame liberalism on vegan and vegetarian diets (with tremendous help from a wide variety of recreational drugs). Unfortunately I know many Dems who love meat, and I'll bet that there are many conservatives who are veggies. However I'm willing to bet that most veggies are liberals, and therefore I'll continue to make my thoroughly unsubstantiated claims about veganism and vegetarianism causing liberalism. So there.
I was watching cable late night over the weekend--some silly show where the host goes to people's homes and helps them out with whatever their problem is. This particular show, she confronted a mom whose two year old son weighed 90 pounds. My 2, almost 3 year old weighs 31 pounds. The boy on the show ate all day long. He even ate in the bath tub--donuts and cookies. He ate hamburgers, hot dogs, and soda pop for breakfast if he wanted it.
PETA: PET EATING TOURNAMENT ASSOCIATION
They are really a front group which feeds unwanted dogs and cats to aliens. Aliens like the taste of dog and cat. Road kill too.........
Anyway...
I did a quick search on yahoo and found Rasta to be a religious movement that embraces a largely vegan lifestyle. Am I right on that?
You are correct. There are varying degress of adherence. My employer's father (the store founder) tends to be stringent. My boss just wears dreads for the convenience but she eats meat.
How cruel. All those walnuts walking around with no balls, thanks to you and them Adventists.
And you know that brown sauce is made from bacon drippings, don't you?
:-)
LOL
Took off last season from performing (real-world job had a few weekend demands), and am waiting to find out whether I'm invited back this year. (Performance company has been drastically cut.)
If I don't get to perform, I'll be back in the booth where I was this past year! We're working on a very cool venue to showcase my unique combination of fortune-telling and insulting.
B-12 is the missing ingredient...
Vitamin B-12 is necessary for human life in the long term.
There is no source of this vitamin except animal products.
Period.
The pure, true 'vegan' diet is a death sentence.
Agreed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.