Good day all. These days, not eating a tender, delicious steak is all the rage among certain circles. Those types of people much prefer the challenge of sneaking up on a leaf. One of their claims has always been that eating a vegan diet is better for you.
Well, guess what? It doesn’t appear that this belief is accurate. How can this be? After all, being a vegan means you’re saving the planet and not harming all those tasty animals. Well, it seems that not eating an omnivorous diet means you may be missing out on a few vital nutrients. Here are the details from Fox News:
More than 7 million Americans are now vegetarian, and more and more are converting every year. The number of vegans in the U.S. increased by 600 percent between 2014 and 2017. And while it is true that predominantly plant-based diets have numerous benefits, they can also cause several underappreciated health problems.
The reason? Those who avoid animal food products often do not get enough B-12, the much-needed vitamin found in animal products that helps build red blood cells, repair DNA, and protect the brain. That could be dangerous.
No kidding. There is a reason humans evolved to eat both plants and meat. What reason could that be? How many cows do you know who’ve won the Nobel Prize in anything?
Whether through more animal foods, including eggs and dairy, or a dietary supplement, Americans must ensure they get enough of this essential but scarce micronutrient. Most vegans, those who don’t eat any animal products, and vegetarians, who don’t eat red meat, seafood, or poultry, are short on B-12.
Well then, it’s a good thing I eat chicken, turkey and beef isn’t it? Not big on seafood, although I did have a tuna fish sandwich for lunch.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found nine in 10 vegans had below-normal levels of B-12. Vegetarians fare a bit better thanks to dairy and eggs, but they also fall short — more than two in three are below normal in B-12. And about 55 percent of children on a vegetarian diet have inadequate B-12 levels, according to a study by researchers at East Carolina University.
Wait? Are you saying that the children of vegans aren’t getting all the nutrients they require because of the vegan diet? Couldn’t that be considered child abuse? What happens if you don’t get enough B12?
The symptoms start slowly, with indicators like fatigue, irritability and other mood changes, memory loss, and pale skin. But these symptoms can escalate to more serious issues such as vision loss and even psychosis, imbalance, and paralysis. B-12 deficiency is also known to raise the risk of developing depression, dementia, cardiovascular disease, stroke and even cancer.
Years ago, before people knew that Steve Jobs was terminally ill, I was speaking with a coworker and making comments about Apple. Jobs came up along with his very unhealthy appearance. We both knew that Jobs was a vegan. My coworker made the following statement: Steve? Eat a steak already!”
Babies who don’t receive enough B-12 in the womb run the risk of developing dangerous defects – indeed, expectant mothers with B-12 deficiency are up to five times more likely to have a child with a potentially disabling or fatal birth defect, many of which involve the brain or spinal cord. A study just out from the Harvard School of Public Health reports that the children of women given B-12 supplements during pregnancy and in the weeks immediately after birth score higher on expressive language tests at age 2 ½.
Well, since most vegans tend to be politically liberal, and liberals love abortion, I don’t see this as a problem. Pregnant vegans will simply fire up the old Hoover and….
An aside. One of the former hosts of the Discovery Channel’s popular show, Mythbusters was Kari Byron. During the long run of the show, it came out that she was a vegetarian. She also got married and pregant during the show’s run. She mentioned that during her pregnancy, she had some serious cravings for beef. Something she normally wouldn’t eat. She couldn’t bring herself to prepare beef so her husband had to do it. She then chowed down on it. Mother and daughter, last I heard, are in great shape.
Getting enough B-12 isn’t difficult with a proper diet — or supplements, if necessary. The recommended daily dose for most adults is 2.4 micrograms per day; pregnant women and nursing moms need a touch more. To put that in context, there are about 1.3 micrograms of B-12 in a serving of steak, 1.5 in a cup of yogurt, 1 in an eight-ounce glass of milk, and 0.5 in one egg. Many types of seafood are also high in B-12. Thus, getting enough B-12 is relatively easy for people who eat from these food groups.
And that lets out the militant vegans. The only thing they will eat other then plants is supplements, and only if they can be shown not to be made from animal products. (I have no idea how vitamins are made either)
Those on plant-based diets — especially if pregnant or nursing — need to pay particularly close attention to their B-12 intake. People on a strict vegan diet get negligible amounts of B-12 from their diets.
Well, that, along with the symptoms of B12 deficiency, explains a lot with regards to Liberal vegans. (Are there conservative vegans?)
Long story short. Humans are, as I mentioned earlier, omnivores. We eat both plants and animals. We need both to maintain good health. If society collapsed tomorrow, it won’t be the people like me who will starve, it will be the vegans. They will continue eating nothing but grass and dandelions, and just get weaker and weaker. Us Omnivores will be just fine.
Thatisall
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