Vegan
Diet in Perspective
In
Primitive Cultures, special foods would be given to both men and
women for a period of time before conception would occur. Dr. Weston
Price's studies revealed that these foods -- including organ meats,
fish heads, fish eggs, shellfish, insects and animal fats -- were
rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and D as well as macro and trace
minerals. It is recommended that couples planning to have children
should eat organic liver and other organ meats liberally, fish eggs
and other seafood, eggs and the best quality butter, cream and
fermented milk products for at least six months before conception.
Organic meats, vegetables, grains and legumes should round out the
diet, with a special emphasis on the leafy green vegetables rich in
folic acid, which is necessary for the prevention of birth defects
like spinal bifida.
It
can be very
risky for
expectant mothers, as well as nursing moms and their babies and
children to exist exclusively upon a Vegan Diet. Also, teenagers who
burn a lot of calories each day and whose growing bones and bodies
still require a full spectrum of nutrients should not adopt a vegan
lifestyle. This may be true for adults, as well, if they follow a
vegan diet strictly for a year or two or more. Listening to one's
body, and eating some "clean" and minimally processed
animal foods as needed,10-20% of one's daily protein, is beneficial
for most.
The
vegan lifestyle is one that can be liberating and cleansing. By
applying a vegan lifestyle for a time, one finds many different and
fun ways to cook creatively outside of the regular North American
carnivorous diet, while cleansing and beginning to feel extremely
healthy. This paper
will objectively look at the Vegan Diet from a nutritional
perspective. Is the diet itself a reasonable and sustainable way for
one to become healthy and vibrant, fulfilling all a person's
nutritional needs and assisting to prevent disease over the long
term?
The Vegan Diet
What
does a healthy Vegan diet look like? One who is eating Vegan is not
eating any red meat, poultry, fish or eggs for protein. One must be
purposely eating other good sources of protein such as tempeh, nuts,
beans and tofu.1
Silverstone says, in her book “The Kind Diet”, only 8 amino
acids are essential (not produced by the body) and so we only need
those 8 from the diet and not all at the same time. Beans and Rice
can provide these amino acids. Legumes have an amazing effect in the
prevention of disease such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. 2
A Vegan also eliminates any dairy products, substituting nuts, seeds,
beans and dark green leafy vegetables for calcium. (118 grams of
calcium in milk to 120 in chickpeas – and some experts say that the
calcium in milk is not absorbed and in fact causes calcium to be
pulled from the bones3)
Silverstone encourages that adopting a Vegan diet will cause you to,
“become stronger, your immune system will work more efficiently as
your body releases excess fats and toxins.”4
There
is little doubt that eating a vegan diet can and will help a person
gain health benefits. By purposely consuming more vegetables and
less animal-source proteins, the body automatically receives a break
digestively, with more fibre and broader vitamins and minerals from
the food taken in. This certainly results in the many health
benefits of
being Vegan. Studies have shown that those who are Vegan have less
incidence of kidney stones, heart disease and some types of cancers.
Silverstone looks at the negative effects of a high meat diet: too
much saturated fats, which
she says increases cholesterol and causes plaque to clog arteries,
high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks. Although, among many
health care professionals there is much division about whether
saturated fats do indeed cause heart disease, or if cholesterol is in
fact harmful and necessary to avoid. (The scope of this report is
not large enough to cover this topic – please see bibliography for
suggested extra reading)
Supplements:
Silverstone
is sure supplementing is unnecessary if you are eating a healthy
vegan diet 5
- except for B12 and that is only because we have a hyper clean
society and so therefore we
get no B12 from the dirt on the vegetables that we eat. She
recommends only 2 micrograms a day and one should only need to
supplement twice a week.
According
to Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, B12 is available
only in meat and animal products. B12 deficiency manifests as
fatigue, tingling hands and feet, sleep disorders and manifests fully
as depression, dementia, OCD, cancer and heart disease...Vegans and
the elderly who don't have enough hydrochloric acid, are shown to
have this deficiency. RAW milk products have lots of B12 in them –
that is RAW
milk
because pasteurization makes it unusable.6
Silverstone
recommends not to drink black tea with meals, as it will inhibit
calcium absorption.
“Most
vegetarians are lower in zinc, essential fats, and protein according
to a study at the Health Sciences Department of the British Columbia
Institute of Technology in Burnaby Canada, which analyzed diets of
vegetarian anorexics versus non-vegetarian patients. Low zinc
levels leads to loss of appetite and more depression. 7
One
might find that animal meat can satisfy the appetite much more than
vegan choices. It
is more than just the need for more B12 – there are other essential
vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D, zinc, iron, and calcium that
are missing as well as essential fats that can not be absorbed well
in plant forms.
Fats:
Silverstone
holds that plant sources of Omega 3's are more stable than fish oils
and also that they have less saturated fats than fish oils – as she
sees saturated fats as being the 'baddies'. 8
Patrick
Holford, author of Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, on the other hand
sees things quite differently, "We are currently to third or
fourth generation with inadequate DHA intakes and experts now think
this could have a lot to do with the increasing rates of neurological
and mental health problems." 9
India has the most vegetarian population in the world. It also has
the highest rate of blindness. A study done in India found that
vegetarians rarely have sufficient DHA levels, which can lead to
blindness. 10
This is connected to a deficiency in omega-3's since both eye and the
brain are built out of DHA. A direct source of EPA and DHA – from
fish or algae are therefore really important. We cannot avoid the
reality that the most
direct source of EPA and DHA is coldwater fish – mainly ones that
eat other fish like herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. We need
300-400 mg of both DHA and EPA a day – and even more if we have a
disease of the mind or heart. In order to provide enough of these
daily from flax seeds, which are a rich source of ALA
(alpha-linolenic acid) – the body must convert the ALA to DHA and
EPA – not easily done -requiring optimum amounts of magnesium,
zinc, and vitamins B3, B6, biotin and C to convert it. A person
would have to consume almost 10 times the amount of ALA to get enough
DHA and EPA.
There
is a clear connection between proteins and fats – they need each
other for absorption. Our primitive ancestors survived on a diet
composed largely of meat and fat, supplemented with vegetables,
fruit, seeds and nuts. Studies of their remains reveal that they
have excellent bone structure, heavy musculature and flawless teeth.
The Agricultural man added milk, grains and legumes to this diet.11
Protein:
The
RDA for protein is, “0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that
we weigh (or about 0.36 grams of protein per pound that we weigh) 12.
- which is about 10% of our calorie intake.
Protein
is vital – most neurotransmitters are made from amino acids,
derived from proteins, thus affecting everything from mood to memory.
A
typical day on The Kind Diet might look like this:
- Breakfast : Toast with avocado and tomatoes.
- Lunch: Vegetarian burrito.
- Dinner: Rustic pasta with marinara sauce, pecan-crusted seitan (wheat gluten), steamed broccoli, and garlic bread.
- Snack: Peanut butter treats or a piece of fruit. 13
There
are a few problems with this menu plan. The breakfast provides
virtually no protein, and will not sustain one's glycemic levels
through till lunch. Lunch, if it is chucked full of black beans or
chickpeas could be delicious and healthy, but the dinner again only
provides a marginal amount of protein. Some will argue that wheat
and other grains are a good source of protein, yet we now know that
even
though many sources may list the protein as being high enough in
wheat, for example, “wheat grown in Canada has more than half...as
much protein as that grown in England”14
- There are many variables in protein content that makes it very
difficult to rely upon. Even microwaving alters the proteins in
foods.
15
It
is
possible
to get your protein from vegetable sources-nuts, seeds, beans etc.but
it is trickier without the eggs or dairy. For
example – 1 CUP
of sunflower seeds, has 20 grams of protein -– whereas 2 medium
size eggs give you the same amount of protein and it is a better,
more absorbable source too.16
Taurine
is found in fish,
eggs and meat
and is an amino acid that is essential for relaxation. Deficiency
results in high levels of anxiety, insomnia, depression and even
mania. It is necessary to supplement 500-1000 mg daily, if on a
vegetarian diet. 17
What
about Soy as a solid substitute for animal protein? The Weston
Price Foundation states that “High levels of phytic acid in soy
reduce assimilation (absorbtion)
of
calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not
neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking,
sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused
growth problems in children...."18
- Vitamin B12 analogs in soy aren't absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
- Soy foods may increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
- Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
- Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
- Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
In
addition, among many other drawbacks to soy, here are a few:
Carbohydrates:
Ideally
the Vegan diet contains no processed foods, no sugar and no white
flour, thus fulfilling only ideal carbohydrate sources like
vegetables and whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice. This is an
excellent guideline and is guaranteed to provide more nutrition and
vitality. Unfortunately, because it is difficult to attain one's
true needs for complete protein, the Vegan can end up craving once
the initial cleanse 'high' is over and ends up choosing unhealthy
carbs such as pastries and chips.
Weston
Price, a dentist who studied extensively in the isolated areas of the
world in the 1930's, found that those whose diets consisted largely
of grain and legumes, while far healthier than civilized moderns, had
more cavities than those living primarily on meat and fish. Skulls
of prehistoric peoples subsisting almost entirely on vegetable foods
have teeth containing cavities and abscesses, and show evidence of
bone problems and TB as well.19
Suitable
Options
Clearly
a Vegan diet is not a suitable diet for most people to embrace over a
long period of time. A person looking for a clean, nutritionally
dense alternative may wish to explore the Alkaline Diet. An Alkaline
Diet achieves great overall health through eating much less meat (and
that meat that is recommended is clean – organic, hormone free,
raised well). When we look at our chart with Alkaline and Acidic
Foods, red meat is included on the acidic side. It is the goal that
approximately 25% of the diet contain the Acidic sources of foods,
including meats, grains and nuts . This guideline keeps us from
consuming too much protein! “Excess protein can damage the
kidneys...and contribute to the development of osteoperosis,"
20as
well as other draw backs like digestive issues and not enough fibre.
If there are issues with digestion, the best solution is to address
food combining and a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme, rather than
completely avoiding the meat.
Along
with our whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and legumes, nuts
and seeds, most of us are better off if we have some good quality
meat, poultry or fish two or three times a week, eggs two times a
week and raw fermented dairy products daily. We will feel the better
for it. As we are all individuals and different from one another,
the key must be to listen to our own body's needs and live
accordingly.
Bibliography
Ballentine,
Rudolph, MD. Transition
to Vegarianism.
Honesdale, PA. The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science
and Philosophy in the USA,1999.
Fallon,
Sally. Nourishing
Traditions.Washington,
DC. New Trends Publishing, 2001
Holford,
Patrick. New
Optimum Nutrition for the Mind.
Laguna Beach,CA. Basic Health Publications, Inc, 2009
Rowland,
David PhD, Cardioprotective
Nutrition: A Critical Review of the Scientific Evidence.
Self published, 2000
Silverstone,
Alicia. The
Kind Diet.
New York, Rodale Inc.,2009
Resources
for finding healthy food choices:
List
of many resources including Annual Food Guide:
Sustainable
fish choices: www.seachoice.org
1Silverstone,
“The Kind Diet”, p 51
2
Ballentine, Transition to
Vegetarianism”, p. 97
3Silverstone,
“The Kind Diet”, p 39
4Silverstone,
“The Kind Diet”, p 1
5Silverstone,
“The Kind Diet” page 79
6Fallone,
Sandy, “Nourishing Traditions” pg 227
7Holford,
New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, pg
369
8Silverstone,
“the Kind Diet”, page 75
9Holford,
Patrick, “New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind” p 40
10Holford,
“New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind”, p 40
11Fallon,
Sally, “Nourishing Traditions”, pg 26
12
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php
13http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-kind-diet
14Ballentine,
“Transition to Vegetarianism” Page 112
15Mercola,
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/11/05/microwave-food.aspx
16Holford,
“New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind” p 56
17Holford,
“New Optimum Nutrtion for the Mind” p 177
18http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert
19Fallon,
Sally “Nourishing Traditions”, pg 27
20Transition
to Vegetarianism page113
