SMartin321
02-27-2009, 11:46 AM
The following is from a newsletter, I received. I've been going back and forth about going raw or at least vegan, and got this in my mail today. I'd like any opinions your group can offer. Thanks!
If you've read anything about the vegetarian diet, you may already know that it is deficient in nutrients like B12, vitamin A, vitamin D and weak in zinc. But why does it matter?
Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the chief causes of fatigue. You know all those energy drinks you see in the store? Pick one up and check the label ingredients for B12 - you'll often find it listed. The body absolutely requires B12 for normal cell activity, and it works along with folic acid to control the level of homocysteine (a building block of protein) in your body. An excess of homocysteine increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, two of the premier causes of death in this country. B12 does not exist in the plant world. There are look-a-likes (analogues) but not the real thing. These analogues actually interfere and cause us to need even more of this vital nutrient. B12 is found in dairy, meat, eggs and poultry.
Vitamin A deficiency weakens your immune system. It is an antioxidant, it develops your bones and the enamel in your teeth, and it stimulates stomach acid for proper digestion. Vitamin A sources include butterfat, egg yolks, organ meats, seafood, and the ever popular (of late) cod liver oil.
Vitamin D deficiency causes illness - particularly colds and flu. It also causes muscular weakness. It aids in the absorption of calcium and protects and maintains your bones. Vitamin D sources include sunlight, fish, liver, eggs, chese and cod liver oil (another health industry "buzz word" of late).
Zinc deficiency causes infertility and reduced libido in men, an upset menstrual cycle in women, hair loss, frequent infections, reduced ability to see in the dark, poor appetite and mental fatigue. A trace mineral, it is second only to iron in the body. It is essential for the proper functioning of your immune system. Zinc sources include beef, pork, chicken, fish, oysters and lamb. High levels of copper in soy and many vegetable foods antagonize zinc in the body.
Because deficiencies can take decades to fully develop, the proportions of vegans and vegetarians who develop nutritional deficiencies over time (if they stick with the diet) is likely close to 100 percent.
2. The average lifespan of a vegetarian is not what you might think.
Overall, vegetarians die of slightly less heart attacks, but they do not have as long a lifespan as non-vegetarians. In terms of disease, it is widely known that obesity and diabetes both rank right up there with heart disease and cancer in terms of the leading causes of death. What you probably don't know is what all these things have in common - insulin and inflammation.
You may have heard that inflammation causes heart attacks. A lesser known fact is that high insulin causes inflammation...which causes the disease. High insulin is caused by excessive carbohydrate consumption. Given that vegans and vegetarians eat mainly fruits and vegetables, one of the biggest struggles is avoiding the over-consumption of carbohydrates. This is paramount to controlling insulin, and therefore, disease.
3. If history says anything, there is proof.
There have been healthy societies that only ate animal foods, but we have NO records of a healthy vegetarian society that did not fall prey to modern diseases. India and China have been touted as healthy vegetarian societies (made famous by another well-marketed book - "The China Study"). What has not been fully explained is that both countries were really forced into being vegetarians by poverty and starvation.
In Oriental Medical School, we only learned about treating malnutrition. Our Chinese professors had nothing to say about weight loss. It had never been a major problem in China. Drs. Royal Lee and Weston A. Price were huge researchers in the field of nutrition, probably the best the U.S. has ever produced. They both were vegetarian and studied cultures from around the world looking for healthy people with straight teeth and superior resistance to disease. Only a handful of cultures met this criteria in the 1930's and none of them were vegetarian. Drs. Lee and Price found that weak patients could not be brought back to health without using animal sources for nutrition. After traveling across six continents, Dr. Price stated that his biggest disappointment in life was that he never found a healthy vegetarian society.
If you've read anything about the vegetarian diet, you may already know that it is deficient in nutrients like B12, vitamin A, vitamin D and weak in zinc. But why does it matter?
Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the chief causes of fatigue. You know all those energy drinks you see in the store? Pick one up and check the label ingredients for B12 - you'll often find it listed. The body absolutely requires B12 for normal cell activity, and it works along with folic acid to control the level of homocysteine (a building block of protein) in your body. An excess of homocysteine increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, two of the premier causes of death in this country. B12 does not exist in the plant world. There are look-a-likes (analogues) but not the real thing. These analogues actually interfere and cause us to need even more of this vital nutrient. B12 is found in dairy, meat, eggs and poultry.
Vitamin A deficiency weakens your immune system. It is an antioxidant, it develops your bones and the enamel in your teeth, and it stimulates stomach acid for proper digestion. Vitamin A sources include butterfat, egg yolks, organ meats, seafood, and the ever popular (of late) cod liver oil.
Vitamin D deficiency causes illness - particularly colds and flu. It also causes muscular weakness. It aids in the absorption of calcium and protects and maintains your bones. Vitamin D sources include sunlight, fish, liver, eggs, chese and cod liver oil (another health industry "buzz word" of late).
Zinc deficiency causes infertility and reduced libido in men, an upset menstrual cycle in women, hair loss, frequent infections, reduced ability to see in the dark, poor appetite and mental fatigue. A trace mineral, it is second only to iron in the body. It is essential for the proper functioning of your immune system. Zinc sources include beef, pork, chicken, fish, oysters and lamb. High levels of copper in soy and many vegetable foods antagonize zinc in the body.
Because deficiencies can take decades to fully develop, the proportions of vegans and vegetarians who develop nutritional deficiencies over time (if they stick with the diet) is likely close to 100 percent.
2. The average lifespan of a vegetarian is not what you might think.
Overall, vegetarians die of slightly less heart attacks, but they do not have as long a lifespan as non-vegetarians. In terms of disease, it is widely known that obesity and diabetes both rank right up there with heart disease and cancer in terms of the leading causes of death. What you probably don't know is what all these things have in common - insulin and inflammation.
You may have heard that inflammation causes heart attacks. A lesser known fact is that high insulin causes inflammation...which causes the disease. High insulin is caused by excessive carbohydrate consumption. Given that vegans and vegetarians eat mainly fruits and vegetables, one of the biggest struggles is avoiding the over-consumption of carbohydrates. This is paramount to controlling insulin, and therefore, disease.
3. If history says anything, there is proof.
There have been healthy societies that only ate animal foods, but we have NO records of a healthy vegetarian society that did not fall prey to modern diseases. India and China have been touted as healthy vegetarian societies (made famous by another well-marketed book - "The China Study"). What has not been fully explained is that both countries were really forced into being vegetarians by poverty and starvation.
In Oriental Medical School, we only learned about treating malnutrition. Our Chinese professors had nothing to say about weight loss. It had never been a major problem in China. Drs. Royal Lee and Weston A. Price were huge researchers in the field of nutrition, probably the best the U.S. has ever produced. They both were vegetarian and studied cultures from around the world looking for healthy people with straight teeth and superior resistance to disease. Only a handful of cultures met this criteria in the 1930's and none of them were vegetarian. Drs. Lee and Price found that weak patients could not be brought back to health without using animal sources for nutrition. After traveling across six continents, Dr. Price stated that his biggest disappointment in life was that he never found a healthy vegetarian society.